**KABUL:** Afghanistan announced on Sunday that it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations, responding to what it described as repeated violations of its territory and airspace.
Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital city, Kabul, as well as a market in the country’s east. Pakistan, however, did not claim responsibility for the attack.
The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, stated that Afghan forces have captured 25 Pakistani army posts. According to him, 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 30 others wounded during the clashes.
“The situation on all official borders and de facto lines of Afghanistan is under complete control, and illegal activities have been largely prevented,” Mujahid said at a press conference in Kabul.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military reported on Sunday that 23 of its troops and more than 200 Taliban and affiliated fighters on the Afghan side were killed during overnight border clashes.
“Precision fire and strikes, as well as physical raids, were directed against Taliban camps and posts, as well as terrorist training facilities,” the Pakistani military said in a statement. The statement noted that 23 Pakistani troops were killed and 29 wounded, while “more than 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists have been neutralized.”
Pakistan has previously conducted strikes inside Afghanistan, targeting what it alleges are militant hideouts, but these strikes were typically carried out in remote mountainous areas. Nevertheless, the two sides have experienced frequent skirmishes along the border.
Saturday night’s heavy clashes underscore the rising security tensions between the two countries.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government Defense Ministry said early Sunday morning that its forces had conducted “retaliatory and successful operations” along the border. The ministry added, “If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nation’s borders and will deliver a strong response.”
The Torkham border crossing, one of the two main trade routes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, did not open at its usual time of 8 a.m. on Sunday. The Chaman crossing was also closed.
Pakistan accuses Afghan authorities of harboring members of the banned group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamabad claims that the group carries out deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies these charges, insisting it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries.
Before Afghanistan’s claim of casualties, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault. He stated that the Pakistani army “not only gave a befitting reply to Afghanistan’s provocations but also destroyed several of their posts, forcing them to retreat.”
The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement late Saturday, calling for “restraint, avoidance of escalation and the adoption of dialogue and wisdom to help de-escalate tensions and maintain the security and stability of the region.” Saudi Arabia recently reached a mutual defense pact with Pakistan, which reportedly places the kingdom under Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella following Israel’s attack on Qatar.
A senior Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Afghan forces opened fire in several northwestern border areas within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including the districts of Chitral, Bajaur, Mohmand, Angoor Adda, and Kurram.
The official further noted that Pakistani troops responded with heavy weaponry near Tirah in the Khyber district and across the frontier in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.
The two countries share a 2,611-kilometer border known as the Durand Line, which Afghanistan has never officially recognized.