Fighters of the Afghan Taliban are exchanging intense fire with Pakistani soldiers amid rising tensions at the border between the two countries. Earlier, explosions rocked Kabul, with the Taliban blaming Islamabad.
On October 9, two explosions occurred in Kabul, and another in southeastern Afghanistan. The next day, the Afghan Ministry of Defense, controlled by the Taliban, accused the neighboring country of violating its sovereignty. "In response to airstrikes carried out by the Pakistani army on Kabul," Taliban forces "are engaged in heavy clashes with Pakistani security forces in various areas" along the border, stated Afghan military officials.
Islamabad did not confirm involvement in the airstrikes but urged Kabul to "stop harboring Pakistani Taliban on its territory." Pakistani authorities accuse them of killing hundreds of Pakistani soldiers since 2021. Pakistani Taliban are undergoing combat training in Afghanistan and share the ideology of their Afghan counterparts, AFP reports. As a result of recent attacks in northwestern Pakistan, 20 security personnel and three civilians were killed.
Pakistani Forces Advance
According to Pakistani sources on the evening of October 11, Afghan forces opened fire at several points along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. These include the town of Chitral in the northwestern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Afghan town of Bagramcha in Balochistan, dpa reports. According to them, Pakistan responded with heavy artillery, tanks, drones, and also scrambled fighter jets.
Pakistani media showed videos of Pakistani security forces destroying Afghan posts. The media claims that Taliban fighters abandoned several checkpoints and fled.
Sources in Islamabad's security agencies reported that a heightened state of combat readiness has also been declared on the eastern border with India due to concerns about possible involvement from New Delhi in the escalation.
Iran Calls for Peace
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged neighboring countries to "exercise restraint." There are currently no confirmed reports of casualties on either side.
Pakistan had previously struck targets in Afghanistan, but this is the first instance where Kabul was targeted. The new strikes coincided with the visit of the Taliban's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to New Delhi, dpa notes.
Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons. According to various estimates, its arsenal consists of between 60 and 170 warheads.
