Pakistan claims capture of 19 Afghan posts as PM vows ‘strong response’ following border clashes

Pakistan claimed on Sunday that its security forces captured 19 Afghan border posts after responding to what it called unprovoked cross-border attacks by Taliban militants, according to state media reports.

“So far, Pakistan has captured 19 Afghan posts on the Afghan border from where attacks were being launched on Pakistan,” state broadcaster PTV News said on X, citing security sources.

The claim has not been confirmed by Afghan authorities.

Security officials said Pakistani forces used heavy weapons to target the Afghan positions that opened fire across the border late Saturday. They added that many Taliban militants were killed while others fled the area, abandoning their posts.

Security sources described the action as a major success for Pakistan’s army. “Flames and destruction were visible at the captured Afghan posts,” one official said.

Pakistan's prime minister said that he "strongly condemns provocations" by Afghanistan, vowing a "strong and effective response."

"There will be no compromise on Pakistan’s defense, and every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement, accusing Taliban authorities in Afghanistan of allowing their land to be used by “terrorist elements.”

Nine Afghan soldiers killed

In a press conference on Sunday morning, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that nine Afghan forces were killed and 16 others wounded in the overnight clashes.

“On the request of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, we stopped the fight,” Mujahid said. “However, Pakistan again hit some areas this morning. We had captured 20 posts near the border area, but we left them after the clashes stopped.”

The Taliban government also claimed that its forces killed 58 Pakistani troops in the border clashes.

Radio Pakistan reported that Pakistan’s military had “completely destroyed” Taliban installations, including the Manojba camp battalion headquarters, Jandusar Post, Turkmenzai camp, and Kharchar Fort.

“The firing from Afghanistan’s side was aimed at getting the khawarij formations crossed into Pakistan,” the sources said, using an Arabic term that Pakistani authorities often apply to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants. “However, Pakistan’s alert and ready posts responded swiftly and forcefully.”

Officials claimed that dozens of Afghan soldiers and militants were killed, while Taliban troops fled after abandoning several positions.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the military’s “prompt and effective” response, calling the Afghan firing on civilians a “blatant violation of international law.”

“Pakistan’s brave forces have given a prompt and effective response that no provocation will be tolerated,” Naqvi said on X. “The people of Pakistan stand with the brave armed forces like a lead wall.”

PTV News also released videos allegedly showing Afghan border posts in flames and purported scenes of Taliban soldiers surrendering to Pakistani troops in the Kurram district.

Sources said the Torkham border crossing, a key trade route between the two countries, has been closed for all movement, with commercial activity suspended.

Gunfire that began late Saturday reportedly subsided by early Sunday.

Calls for restraint

As fighting intensified along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, regional powers urged both sides to de-escalate and return to dialogue.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on Islamabad and Kabul to “exercise restraint” amid the ongoing clashes.

“Our position is that both sides must exercise restraint,” Araghchi said in a live interview with Iranian state television. “Stability between the two neighbors contributes directly to regional stability,” he added.

Saudi Arabia — which recently signed a mutual defense agreement with Pakistan — also voiced concern over the border violence. In a statement, the kingdom called on both countries “to exercise restraint, avoid escalation, and embrace dialogue and wisdom to reduce tensions and maintain security and stability in the region.”

“The kingdom affirms its support for all regional and international efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability,” the statement added, stressing Riyadh’s “continued commitment to ensuring security and prosperity for the brotherly Pakistani and Afghan peoples.”

Qatar joined the diplomatic calls for calm, urging both sides to prioritize dialogue, diplomacy, and restraint. The Qatari Foreign Ministry said the two countries should work to contain their differences “in a manner that helps reduce tension and avoid escalation,” while supporting “all regional and international efforts aimed at strengthening peace and security.”

Doha reaffirmed its commitment to “ensuring security and prosperity for the peoples of Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

Late-night clashes

The clashes erupted after Afghan forces allegedly attacked Pakistani border positions along the Durand Line, the disputed 2,600-kilometer frontier dividing the two countries.

Pakistani security sources said Afghan forces opened fire without provocation, targeting military posts in Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, and Chitral districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as Baramcha in Balochistan. They said the firing was meant to facilitate militant infiltration into Pakistan.

Pakistan’s military responded immediately, claiming to have destroyed several Afghan positions and killed dozens of Taliban and foreign fighters.

“This aggression by Afghanistan comes at a time when its foreign minister is visiting India,” a Pakistani official said, referring to the Taliban administration’s top diplomat’s recent trip to New Delhi — the first such visit since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover.

Afghanistan’s TOLO News reported that the Taliban’s Khalid bin Walid Corps attacked Pakistani security posts near the Durand Line in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, calling it retaliation for Pakistan’s recent airstrikes on Kabul.

In a statement, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense confirmed it had conducted a “retaliatory operation” against Pakistani military centers along the border in response to what it called repeated violations of Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

“The operation concluded around midnight,” the ministry said. “If Pakistan violates Afghanistan’s sovereignty again, our armed forces are prepared to respond decisively.”

Serious escalation

The fighting marks one of the most serious escalations between Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent years. Relations have worsened as Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring militants from TTP, which has carried out deadly attacks inside Pakistan.

The Taliban deny the allegations, saying they do not allow Afghan territory to be used against any country.

On Friday, Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said Islamabad would take “all necessary steps” to protect its citizens.

“Afghanistan is being used as a base for terrorism, and there is proof of this,” he said. “The Pakistani people must be protected, and we will take the necessary steps to ensure their safety.”