(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Islamabad, Pakistan – October 12
Clashes erupted along the Pakistan‑Afghanistan border today after the Pakistan Army fired on Afghan border posts that were reportedly targeted by Taliban forces.
The fighting began late Saturday night when Afghan Taliban troops opened fire on several Pakistani checkpoints in Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In response, Pakistan’s forces struck back at key Afghan posts in Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir and Chitral, as well as Baramcha in Balochistan. Official reports say many Afghan posts were hit and that dozens of Afghan soldiers and Taliban fighters were killed.
Security officials say the Afghan attack was aimed at helping the banned Taliban‑linked group, Tehreek‑i‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP), slip into Pakistani territory. Pakistan’s counter‑attack destroyed several Afghan posts and damaged militant positions.
The Taliban blamed the clashes on a recent air strike by Pakistani forces on Kabul. Afghan statements say the air strikes prompted the Taliban border units in Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika, Khost and Helmand provinces to fight back along the Durand Line.
Pakistan’s government has not confirmed it sent the initial strikes but has called on Kabul to stop harboring TTP militants on its soil.
Former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad warned in a post on X that Pakistan’s strikes in Kabul were a “huge escalation” that could threaten regional stability. He urged Islamabad and Kabul to resume diplomatic talks and address the issue of terrorist sanctuaries across the border.
Afghan officials reported an explosion in Kabul Thursday night, but no damage has been reported so far. Investigations are underway.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, told parliament that any collateral damage from such escalations cannot be ruled out and urged restraint.
These events come as Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is visiting India on a week‑long trip, the first high‑level travel by Kabul representatives since the Taliban takeover in August 2021.
Source: aninews
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