Afghanistan’s military has launched attacks against Pakistani military positions along the border, Taliban authorities said Thursday, escalating a recent surge in cross-border violence between the two nations.
The media office of Afghanistan’s military corps in the East said in a statement that “heavy clashes” had begun late Thursday “in response to the recent airstrikes carried out by Pakistani forces in Nangarhar and Paktia” provinces.
“In response to repeated provocations and violations by Pakistani military circles, large-scale offensive operations have been launched against Pakistani military positions and installations along the Durand Line,” Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote in a post on X.
The two countries’ 2,611-kilometre (1,622-mile) long border is known as the Durand Line, a boundary Afghanistan has not formally recognised.
As of late Thursday, there was no immediate response to the announcements from Pakistan.
The renewed fighting follows Pakistani strikes on Afghanistan , which Pakistan claimed targeted militant camps and killed at least 70 fighters. Afghanistan rejected the claim, asserting that civilians, including women and children, were among the victims. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported “credible reports” that the strikes killed at least 13 civilians and injured seven in the Behsud and Khogyani districts of Nangarhar province.
The Pakistani military stated it had carried out “intelligence based selective targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts” in response to recent suicide bombings within Pakistan. The strikes came days after Saudi Arabia mediated the release of three Pakistani soldiers who had been captured in Kabul last during border clashes.
Tensions between the two countries have been steadily rising. Pakistan has accused the Taliban government of allowing militants to operate from Afghan soil, a claim Kabul consistently denies. This accusation marks a significant shift in Pakistan’s relationship with the Taliban, who were once viewed as a strategic asset.
Earlier clashes in led to a fragile ceasefire, but subsequent fighting has continued to erupt along the border. The Durand Line, a source of contention for over a century, remains a key factor in the ongoing instability. Afghanistan’s non-recognition of the line fuels tensions, as it is seen by many Afghans as an imposed boundary that divides ethnic groups.
The recent escalation raises concerns about further destabilization in the region, already grappling with numerous security challenges. The potential for a wider conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours remains a significant worry for international observers.
More to come…
