Kabul/ New Delhi: Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Sunday, claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers and captured 19 border posts in retaliatory strikes near the Durand line last night, after Islamabad bombed “terrorist hideouts” outside of Kabul on Thursday.
The Afghanistan forces attacked Pakistani troops in multiple mountainous locations overnight on Saturday on the northern border in what it called as an act of retaliation, with both countries blaming the other for the flare-up.
The operations were halted after Saudi Arabia and Qatar intervened, instructing both sides to come to a ceasefire.
Afghanistan has claimed that Sunday’s clashes were a retaliation for “repeated violations of Afghanistan’s territory and airspace” by Pakistan. Pakistan had violated Afghan airspace and bombed a market inside its border on Thursday.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, announced on Sunday that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed during Saturday night’s clash between Afghan and Pakistani forces along the border and that 9 members of the Taliban forces were also killed and 16 others were injured.
Whereas, Pakistan has disputed that figure, stating 23 of its armed forces’ members had died and claiming that “200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists have been neutralized”.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the Afghan attacks were “unprovoked” and civilians were fired at, warning that his country’s forces would respond “with a stone for every brick”.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s defence minister, Mullah Yaqoob warned that Afghan forces are “fully prepared to defend” the country’s borders, a day after deadly “retaliatory” strikes on Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line.
