The ongoing conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan resumed last night around 7:30 PM IST after a 60-hour of silence. According to the information and videos released both countries exchanged heavy gunfire with Pakistan targeting six Afghan military posts and several tanks using artillery, anti-tank missiles, and drones. In retaliation, the Afghan side carried out a drone strike on one Pakistani post, a video of which was released by Taliban-affiliated Al Mirsaad.
The first attack on Afghanistan was launched by the Pakistani army at 7:47 PM IST striking an Afghan post on the Paktika–Kurram border with artillery fire. The second strike targeted another post in the same region followed by a third attack around 11 PM which engulfed the entire area in smoke and fire.
Pakistan then began drone strikes on Afghan army positions starting with a moving Afghan Army tank in Paktika. Pakistani forces later released a video claiming they destroyed a tank positioned at Afghanistan’s Shamsad Post near the Nangarhar–Khyber border using an anti-tank missile.Subsequently, Pakistani drones targeted the Afghan army’s Naresgar Post along the Khost–Ghulam Khan–North Waziristan–Miran Shah border. Meanwhile Taliban-affiliated Al-Mirsaad also released a footage showing an Afghan drone strike destroying a Pakistani post.
Video footage from Afghanistan showed Afghan army convoys moving towards the Ghulam Shah border in Khost and the Kandahar–Chaman Spin Boldak border to retaliate against Pakistan’s sudden assault. During the Pakistani attacks, unidentified drones were also seen flying over Kabul’s airspace. Afghan military authorities have also asked civilians living near the Durand Line border to evacuate to safer areas.
Afghan media suggest that sporadic gunfire between both sides continued late into the night. On Saturday, around 9:23 PM IST, the Afghan army had launched a surprise offensive strikes against Pakistan at its 7 borders in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul and Paktika. Afghanistan claimed 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed, 40 posts destroyed, and 25 captured. Pakistan however, admitted only 23 deaths and claimed Afghanistan suffered “heavy losses” in counterattacks.
Following the heavy damage to Pakistan, Afghanistan declared a ceasefire at 1 AM IST on Sunday night after mediation appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar as claimed by its Spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid. However Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire starting at around 1:30AM that day with continued attacks until 7 AM on Afghan Army Posts. However in the afternoon Afghan government claimed that calm had been restored along the frontier.
But then first war of words began between two countries after Afghanistan government issued statement on Pakistan for the massacre of over 280 unarmed protesters by Pakistani Rangers and police in Muridke, Punjab province. Pakistan’s foreign ministry expressed “strong displeasure” at Afghan Taliban’s statement, and now Pakistani forces resumed hostilities against Afghan positions.
During the weekend’s clashes Afghanistan’s army had also seized Pakistani weapons and equipment, taking five Pakistani soldiers captive. Public celebrations broke out across Afghanistan over the perceived victory. At a festivity in Nangarhar yesterday Afghan soldiers displayed captured Pakistani rifles, uniforms, and even the trousers of the captured soldiers.
Meanwhile, in addition to the border clashes, three explosions were reported at around 1:30 AM in Pakistan’s Mastung area of Balochistan, though the cause remains unclear. As of now, neither the Afghan nor the Pakistani government or military has issued any official statement regarding last night’s renewed fighting, which began at 7:47 PM IST. It remains to be seen whether Pakistan’s latest attacks on Afghan military installations were an attempt to restore its damaged reputation or driven by other motives.
