Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated after Taliban forces struck back against recent Pakistani airstrikes. At least 15 Pakistani soldiers were killed in Afghanistan’s Helmand province when Afghan troops launched a retaliatory attack near the Durand Line in Bahrampur district. Afghan officials said they also seized three Pakistani military posts and captured weapons and ammunition.
The clashes followed airstrikes in Kabul and Paktika provinces, which Afghanistan blamed on Pakistan. The Taliban’s defence ministry said its forces responded strongly along multiple border provinces, including Kandahar, Zabul, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, and Kunar. The ministry warned that any further violation of Afghan territory would meet a “firm response.”
Pakistan, while not confirming its involvement in the airstrikes, accused Afghanistan of sheltering Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants. The TTP, an ally of the Afghan Taliban, has carried out several deadly attacks on Pakistani soldiers in recent months.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said diplomatic efforts to stop the Taliban from backing the TTP had failed and vowed action against those supporting them. The violence marks one of the most serious cross-border escalations between the two neighbours in recent years.
