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At least 15 Pakistani soldiers were killed in fierce clashes with Taliban forces along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Saturday night, according to Afghan officials. The fighting, which took place across multiple locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, also saw Afghan forces reportedly capture three Pakistani border posts and seize weapons and ammunition. The clashes mark a significant escalation in cross-border tensions following disputed airstrikes in Kabul earlier this week.

According to Pakistani security officials, Taliban forces opened fire on several Pakistani border posts late Saturday, prompting what they described as a “prompt and intense response” targeting. Afghan positions. Taliban authorities, meanwhile, claimed the attack was retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory.

Conflicting Accounts Of The Violence

Pakistani security officials told Dawn that their forces “effectively targeted several Afghan border posts,” claiming notable damage to multiple Afghan positions and militant formations. The firing occurred at key border locations including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Baramcha in Balochistan.

“The counteroffensive effectively targeted and destroyed multiple Afghan posts at the border. Dozens of Afghan soldiers and Khawarij were killed in retaliatory fire,” The Express Tribune reported, citing Pakistani security sources. “Khwaraj” is the Pakistani state’s designated term for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Taliban border forces provided a different narrative, stating the clashes erupted “in retaliation for the air strikes by Pakistani forces.” The Afghan military said its border forces in the east were “engaged in heavy clashes against Pakistani forces’ posts in various border areas.”

Taliban officials from the provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika, Khost, and Helmand, all located along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, confirmed the fighting. Some Taliban sources claimed to have seized two Pakistani border posts in Helmand province, which local authorities reportedly confirmed, though this could not be independently verified.

The Kabul Airstrikes Dispute

The current escalation follows reports of airstrikes in Kabul earlier this week. While Islamabad has not confirmed conducting the strikes, it has called on Kabul to “stop harboring the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on its soil.”

Pakistani security sources told The Express Tribune that Saturday’s Taliban firing was aimed at “facilitating the illegal entry of Khwarij” into Pakistani territory—an allegation that frames the violence. within Pakistan’s ongoing battle against TTP militants it claims are sheltering in Afghanistan.

Late Thursday, a Taliban spokesperson said an explosion was heard in Kabul but downplayed the incident, stating “no one should worry, it is all well and good” and that investigations were underway with no damage. reported.

Military Escalation And Weaponry

Reports indicate that Pakistan deployed artillery, tanks, and both light and heavy weaponry in its counterattacks along the border. The scale of the engagement suggests this was not a minor skirmish but a significant military confrontation involving substantial firepower on both sides.

Political Context And Warnings

The escalation comes as Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is on a week-long visit to India, the first high-level visit from Kabul since the Taliban seized power in August 2021. The timing adds another layer of complexity to an already volatile regional situation.

On October 10, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told the National Assembly that “collateral damage” cannot be ruled out if Pakistani security forces come under attack, stating that “enough is enough.”

Former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad expressed concern over the reported Pakistani strikes in Kabul on Friday, calling them a “huge escalation” that poses dangerous risks. In a post on

(With ANI Inputs)