At least 18 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory attacks launched by Taliban forces following Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Helmand province and the capital, Kabul.
According to Mawlawi Mohammad Qasim Riaz, spokesperson for the Helmand provincial government, Afghan forces carried out overnight operations near the Durand Line in the Bahrampur district, killing 15 Pakistani soldiers. He said the forces also captured three Pakistani military outposts and seized weapons and ammunition during the assault.
The retaliatory operations came after Pakistan reportedly conducted airstrikes in Kabul and Paktika provinces earlier this week. In response, Taliban-led Afghan forces have begun targeting Pakistani positions along the border, including in the provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, and Kunar, all located near the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier.
On Thursday, three explosions were reported in Afghanistan, two in Kabul and one in Paktika. The Taliban-led defence ministry accused Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty through the airstrikes.
“In response to the Pakistani army’s attacks on Kabul, Taliban forces are engaged in intense clashes with Pakistani security personnel along the border,” the Afghan military said in a statement.
Defence ministry spokesperson Enayat Khowarazm later told AFP that the “successful” operations concluded at midnight. He warned that if Pakistan repeated such attacks, Afghan forces were “fully prepared to defend their territory and respond firmly.”
While Islamabad has not officially confirmed conducting Thursday’s airstrikes, it urged Kabul to take action against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants allegedly operating from Afghan soil.
