Pakistan has claimed that 12 of its soldiers have died in fierce clashes with Afghan forces and militant groups along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Islamabad says fighting erupted late on February 26 and has since escalated into one of the most intense exchanges in months, encompassing artillery, drone and air operations. Pakistan’s military spokesman maintains that Pakistan’s strikes have inflicted heavy losses on the Afghan Taliban, although Kabul disputes these figures. Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of aggression and insists that the conflict requires urgent diplomatic de-escalation.
Bitter Border Clashes & Conflicting Casualty Claims
The violence, which began on February 26, quickly spread across multiple border sectors, with both sides targeting military positions and infrastructure. Pakistan reported conducting extensive air strikes against Afghan Taliban strongholds in provinces such as Paktika, Khost and Nangarhar. According to its military, these operations have so far killed 274 Taliban fighters and injured more than 400, while at least 74 enemy posts were destroyed or captured. Islamabad also released footage purporting to show strikes on over 30 Afghan military installations.
Pakistan conceded the deaths of 12 of its soldiers and said 27 were wounded in the fighting. Kabul’s authorities, however, have challenged Islamabad’s account. Afghanistan claims to have inflicted heavier losses on Pakistani forces and insists that, contrary to Islamabad’s assertions, its own offensive actions are defensive responses to Pakistani bombardments. Independent verification of the casualty figures has not been possible amid the fog of conflict.
Escalation & Regional Concerns
What began as sporadic cross-border firing has now taken on the character of a broader confrontation, with air power deployed for the first time in this cycle of hostilities. Pakistan’s government accuses the Afghan Taliban of harbouring militants who launch attacks into Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies, stressing that any militant presence is not state-sanctioned. The exchange of attacks has also spilled into urban areas inside both countries, including reported drone operations over Pakistani cities, though Islamabad says it has intercepted these threats.
The eruption of large-scale combat has prompted international calls for restraint. Regional and global powers, including the UK, the UN and others, have urged both sides to halt hostilities and return to diplomatic channels. While Afghanistan’s leadership says it prefers dialogue to conflict, there is growing concern that the current crisis could destabilise an already fragile region unless urgent mediatory efforts succeed.
