Pakistani army responds after night of Afghan fire on several fronts

Unprovoked firing by Afghan forces along the Pakistan-Afghan border provoked a strong response from the Pakistani army that continued throughout the night, leading to the deaths of several Afghan soldiers and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists.

According to security sources, Afghan forces opened unprovoked firing at several locations along the border on Saturday evening, including in Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir and Chitral areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Zhob district of Balochistan province.

The firing, they added, was aimed at facilitating the cross-border movement of formations of “Khawarij” – members of the TTP. The Pakistani army’s “alert and vigilance” posts responded quickly and forcefully, and exchanges of fire were continuing at the time of writing.

Several Afghan border posts were destroyed and dozens of Afghan soldiers and militants were killed. Taliban forces abandoned several posts and fled, leaving the bodies scattered, according to security sources.

The Taliban’s Afghan Defense Ministry issued a statement late at night saying: “We will now stop our ‘retaliatory actions’ against Pakistan and we hope that Pakistan will not retaliate.” However, clashes continued across the border.

The Afghan posts would have failed to provide cover and would have suffered heavy losses. Pakistani security forces used artillery, tanks, and light and heavy weapons. Furthermore, aerial assets and drones were used to target terrorist positions and headquarters of Afghan forces accused of sheltering elements of Daesh and Khawarij.

Bombing continued, with the Pakistani army targeting posts that aided terrorist organizations. Pakistani security forces also carried out strikes against Afghan terrorists in Chaghi, destroying several checkpoints and militant positions.

According to security forces, great caution was taken to ensure that only Afghan posts assisting militants were targeted.

Video footage of the destruction of the Afghan post of Jandusar has been released. Other images showed several Afghan posts destroyed overnight, with Afghan soldiers deserting their positions and leaving behind bodies and equipment.

Pakistani security forces also targeted Afghan posts opposite the Kurram border, demolishing several, some of which were seen engulfed in flames. Turkmanzai Top and Kharchur Fort – described by the Pakistani army as militant centers – were also destroyed.

Read: The army responds quickly to the Afghan provocation

Pakistani security forces confirmed that Afghan posts at Liuband (Qila Abdullah sector), opposite Kunar and Bajaur, and another opposite Angoor Adda, South Waziristan, were destroyed.

Desertions among Afghan soldiers continued, with videos showing abandoned posts where uniforms and weapons had been left behind.

According to security sources, Pakistan managed to strike the battalion headquarters of Camp Manujba and Camp Darani of the Taliban. Reports indicate that dozens of Taliban fighters and foreign militants have been killed in both locations.

The Durani-2 and Manujba-2 camps – known militant launch pads – were also successfully targeted. A tank position on a peak on the Afghan side of the Kurram border was hit, and several Afghan Taliban tanks were destroyed in the strikes.

At least 19 Afghan posts believed to have aided terrorist groups have been successfully targeted, security sources said.

The total number of casualties remains unclear, but following the night’s hostilities, the Torkham border post was closed by Pakistani authorities. According to The Khorasan Diary, the crossing was closed in response to Afghan aggression.

Quraishi Badloon, head of information and culture, said Pakistan closed the Torkham border to passengers, commercial convoys and refugees on Sunday.

Gulf countries call for calm

Saudi Arabia expresses concern over border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He calls for restraint, dialogue and wisdom to reduce tensions, affirming his support for regional efforts aimed at ensuring the security and prosperity of both nations.

Qatar expresses its concern about this escalation and its potential repercussions. He urged both sides to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy to contain differences, reaffirming his support for international peace efforts and the security of the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Tensions rise

“In retaliation for airstrikes by Pakistani forces,” Taliban border forces in the east “engaged in violent clashes against Pakistani force posts in various border areas,” the Afghan army said in a statement.

The Afghan Taliban government on Friday accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes on its territory and warned of “consequences”. Islamabad said its patience with Kabul was running out, without acknowledging or denying the airstrikes.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, “took note” of the reports of the strikes. “To protect the lives of the people of Pakistan, we are doing and will continue to do whatever is necessary. Our demand to Afghanistan: your soil must not be used for terrorism against Pakistan,” he said.

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to expel terrorists using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan – a charge authorities in Kabul deny. The TTP and its affiliates are behind most of the violence in Pakistan, directed largely at security forces.

Learn more: Six police officers martyred as forces repel TTP attack

Earlier this year, a UN report said the TTP “receives substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities,” referring to the Taliban government in Kabul.

Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told parliament on Thursday that several efforts to convince the Afghan Taliban to stop supporting the TTP had failed.

“We will no longer tolerate this,” Asif said. “United, we must respond to those who facilitate them, whether the hiding places are on our soil or on Afghan soil. »

Diplomatic relations deteriorate

The clashes come as Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visits India, marking New Delhi’s first high-level engagement with the Taliban.

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi on Friday, Muttaqi commented on a recent explosion in Kabul, condemning the incident while blaming Pakistan. “Whatever problems each country has, they must be solved by themselves,” he said.

Read also: Islamabad reprimands Kabul for terrorist comments

Muttaqi further claimed that there was no longer any terrorist group in Afghanistan. “If other countries achieve peace themselves like we did in Afghanistan, then there will be peace in the entire region. For the last eight months, there has not been a single minor incident in Afghanistan. In four years, no one has been injured on Afghan soil. So this is the best evidence we have presented,” he said.

In response, Pakistan’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying that Pakistan’s “strong reservations” on elements of the India-Afghanistan joint statement had been conveyed to the Afghan ambassador in Islamabad by the additional foreign secretary (West Asia and Afghanistan).

“Pakistan also strongly rejected the assertion of the Acting Afghan Foreign Minister that terrorism is an internal problem of Pakistan,” the statement said.

He added that Pakistan had repeatedly shared detailed evidence regarding the presence of elements of Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan operating from Afghan soil against Pakistan, allegedly with the support of elements in Afghanistan.