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.
