Wednesday, October 15, 2025
30.1 C
New Delhi

Taliban Claims 58 Pakistani Soldiers Killed In Cross-Border Operation, Warns Islamabad

The Taliban on Sunday issued a stark warning to Islamabad, demanding Pakistan stop providing safe havens to ISIS militants. Afghan counterstrikes along the border reportedly killed 58 Pakistani soldiers and injured 30 more, following recent airstrikes near Kabul.

“Pakistan must either expel key ISIS members hiding on its soil or hand them over to the Islamic Emirate,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said during a press briefing. “The ISIS network poses a serious threat to multiple countries, including Afghanistan.”

Mujahid emphasized Afghanistan’s right to defend its airspace and territorial borders. He added that the Taliban had paused overnight operations along the Durand Line—the mountainous border dividing Afghanistan and Pakistan at the request of Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Escalation Follows Pakistani Airstrikes

This escalation comes days after Pakistan conducted airstrikes near Kabul, which Afghanistan’s 201 Khalid bin Walid Army Corps described as triggering “retaliatory” operations targeting Pakistani military positions in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces.

Clashes have also erupted in Paktia province’s Aryoub Zazi district, spreading to Spina Shaga, Giwi, Mani Jabha, and surrounding areas along the disputed boundary. The Afghan Defense Ministry claimed that Pakistani military facilities and equipment were destroyed during the attacks, including one outpost each in Kunar and Helmand provinces. Taliban fighters reportedly seized weapons and vehicles amid the skirmishes.

The fighting appears to be intensifying, with simultaneous clashes reported across Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Kunar, Helmand, and Nangarhar provinces. Analysts suggest this may be one of the most serious border escalations since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Pakistan Denies Airstrikes, Blames Afghan Taliban for TTP Militants

While Pakistan has not officially claimed responsibility for the airstrikes, it has urged Kabul to prevent the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) from operating on Afghan soil. The TTP, which shares ideological ties with the Afghan Taliban, has been accused of killing hundreds of Pakistani soldiers since 2021.

“This evening, Taliban forces began using weapons. We fired first light and then heavy artillery at four points along the border,” a senior official in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province told AFP. “Pakistani forces responded with heavy fire and shot down three Afghan quadcopters suspected of carrying explosives. Intense fighting continues, but no casualties have been reported so far.”

Rising Tensions Along the Durand Line

The recent clashes highlight the fragile security situation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, raising urgent questions about regional cooperation in combating terrorism. With hostilities intensifying, both nations face a delicate balance between retaliation and diplomacy, while the wider world watches closely.

Go to Source

Hot this week

Erika Kirk reveals late husband Charlie’s ‘presidential ambitions’ as Trump compares him to ‘Abraham Lincoln’

Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, on Tuesday revealed that her late husband “probably would have run for president” had he lived. Read More

Marry over video call from anywhere: Abu Dhabi launches Dh800 virtual wedding service

Abu Dhabi launches online wedding service via TAMM app. Read More

UK faces worst living standards growth, highest inflation growth in West, says IMF

In a double blow to British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s efforts to raise living standards, the IMF has warned that the UK will see the worst living standards growth and the highest growth in inflation in the Western world next year. Read More

Vivek Ramaswamy Calls Out ChatGPT’s New Erotic Feature As ‘Dangerous’

Vivek Ramaswamy urged caution in allowing AI to simulate sexual or emotional intimacy, warning that such humanisation of AI could fuel depression and social isolation Go to Source Read More

Topics

Erika Kirk reveals late husband Charlie’s ‘presidential ambitions’ as Trump compares him to ‘Abraham Lincoln’

Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, on Tuesday revealed that her late husband “probably would have run for president” had he lived. Read More

UK faces worst living standards growth, highest inflation growth in West, says IMF

In a double blow to British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s efforts to raise living standards, the IMF has warned that the UK will see the worst living standards growth and the highest growth in inflation in the Western world next year. Read More

Vivek Ramaswamy Calls Out ChatGPT’s New Erotic Feature As ‘Dangerous’

Vivek Ramaswamy urged caution in allowing AI to simulate sexual or emotional intimacy, warning that such humanisation of AI could fuel depression and social isolation Go to Source Read More

Tips And Trick: How To Make Fluffiest Idlis

Whether you’re a beginner or someone looking to perfect your technique, a few key tips can make all the difference. Read More

D’Angelo: The pioneer who charted a new course for soul music

23 minutes ago ShareSave Steven McIntoshEntertainment reporter ShareSave Getty Images There aren’t many musicians whose sound is so distinctive and influential that the music industry invents a whole new genre to describe it. Read More

‘I never used the word retirement’ – Daniel Day-Lewis is back on screen after a seven-year break

5 hours ago ShareSave Lizo MzimbaEntertainment correspondent, the London Film Festival ShareSave PA Media Daniel Day-Lewis may have returned to acting after a seven-year absence, but the actor has said he has not been inundated with new Read More

Related Articles