Islamabad, Pakistan – Dozens of soldiers were killed in heavy overnight fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan, officials from both countries said Sunday, in the most serious clashes since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The violence prompted Pakistan to close major border crossings.
The Pakistan military stated that 23 of its soldiers died. In contrast, the Taliban administration in Kabul said nine of its security forces were killed.
Each side claimed to have inflicted much higher casualties on the other, with Pakistan reporting it killed more than 200 Afghan fighters and Afghanistan claiming it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers. These figures could not be independently verified.
The fighting erupted late Saturday after Afghan forces opened fire on Pakistani border posts. The Taliban’s defense ministry described the move as a retaliatory operation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan on Thursday.
Pakistan has not officially acknowledged the airstrikes, which Afghan officials said hit Kabul and a marketplace in the country’s east.
In response to the overnight attacks, Pakistan used gun and artillery fire. Both governments claimed to have destroyed border posts belonging to the other.
By Sunday morning, most of the heavy exchanges had stopped. However, intermittent gunfire continued in Pakistan’s Kurram district, according to local officials.
Border crossings closed
Pakistan closed its main border crossings at Torkham and Chaman on Sunday, halting trade and civilian movement. At least three other smaller crossings were also shut, stranding people on both sides.
The 2,600-kilometer border, known as the Durand Line, is a colonial-era demarcation that Afghanistan has never formally recognized.
The recent Pakistan-Afghanistan border clashes are rooted in longstanding disputes. Islamabad has repeatedly demanded that the Taliban take action against Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, who Pakistan says operate from havens in Afghanistan to launch attacks on its soil.
The Taliban administration denies that it allows its territory to be used by militant groups. “There is no kind of threat in any part of Afghanistan’s territory,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said at a news conference in Kabul on Sunday. He added that Afghan forces would defend their land.
Regional powers urge restraint
The violence drew calls for calm from regional powers. Saudi Arabia and Qatar both released statements expressing concern and urging dialogue to de-escalate the situation.
The Taliban’s spokesman said that Afghanistan halted its attacks late Saturday at the request of the two Gulf nations.
The fighting coincided with a visit by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, Pakistan’s regional rival. During the visit, India announced it would upgrade its diplomatic relations with Kabul.
Speaking from India, Muttaqi confirmed that the Taliban respected the calls for a halt to the fighting but maintained that Kabul reserves the right to self-defense.
“We want a peaceful resolution of the situation, but if the peace efforts don’t succeed, we have other options,” Muttaqi told reporters.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Afghan attack and stated the country’s army “gave a befitting reply to Afghanistan’s provocations.”
The unresolved issues concerning militant groups and the disputed border suggest that while the immediate fighting has subsided, the potential for future conflict remains.