Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi early Sunday praised security forces after Pakistan’s military responded to unprovoked attacks by Afghan Taliban forces on border posts.
In response, Pakistani forces continued to attack Afghan security posts in multiple areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, state media reported, citing security sources.
“Firing by Afghan forces on civilians is a blatant violation of international law. The brave forces of Pakistan have given a swift and effective response that no provocation will be tolerated,” the Home Minister said in a post on X.
“Pakistan forces are alert and Afghanistan is being responded to with stones for bricks. The people of Pakistan support the brave armed forces like a lead wall. Afghanistan will also receive a befitting response like India.”
“So far, Pakistan has captured 19 Afghan posts on the Afghan border from where attacks were being launched against Pakistan,” the state broadcaster reported. PTV News he said in X, citing security sources.
Security sources further said that “the Afghan Taliban present at the posts have been killed and the rest have fled for their lives”, adding that fires had broken out at some posts.
“The Pakistani army also completely destroyed the Taliban’s Manojba Camp Battalion Headquarters, Jandusar Post, Turkmenzai Camp and Kharchar Fort,” Radio Pakistan reported, citing security sources.
“The shooting from the Afghan side was aimed at getting khawarij formations crossed towards the Pakistan border. However, the Pakistani posts, which were alert and ready, responded quickly and forcefully,” the security sources added.
They also said that “dozens of Afghan soldiers and kwarij“died in the action, while “the Taliban fled the area after abandoning several of their posts.”
PTV News He also shared several videos of shots fired at Afghan posts, some of which were on fire, and in one video, Afghan soldiers surrendering to Pakistani forces in Kurram.
Last night, at the last minute, the government Radio Pakistan issued the following statement on
He said, “Afghan forces carried out unprovoked firing at several places,” Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Bahram Chah in Balochistan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Radio Pakistan He further said that Pakistan was “targeting terrorist camps and hideouts of khawarij (terrorists), ISIS located near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border inside Afghanistan with great precision. “Afghan forces have withdrawn from several areas.”
In the early hours of Sunday, security sources said there were reports of significant damage inflicted on multiple Afghan outposts and militant formations, security officials added.
They said that artillery, tanks, and light and heavy weapons were used in the retaliatory action.
administered by the state Radio Pakistan He also shared images of what he said were “kharjis and Afghan soldiers being eliminated.”
Separately, the Torkham border crossing has been closed to all traffic after overnight shootings in several places, according to residents on the Pakistani side.
Afghan official Qureshi Badloon also confirmed the closure of *Dawn.*com from Nangarhar.
Clashes break out after Kabul blames Islamabad
The clashes broke out after Kabul accused Islamabad of carrying out airstrikes against the Afghan capital earlier this week, according to Taliban border forces.
“In retaliation for airstrikes by Pakistani forces,” Taliban border forces in the east are “engaged in heavy clashes against posts of Pakistani forces in several border areas,” the Afghan military said in an earlier statement.
Taliban officials in Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika, Khost and Helmand provinces, all located on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, confirmed the clashes.
Islamabad did not confirm that it was behind the attacks, but called on Kabul “to stop harboring the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on its territory.”
Security sources said the Afghan posts did not provide covering fire to the militants and there were reports of “heavy losses” between the Afghan border posts and the militants.
“The hideouts of Kharijites and Daesh inside Afghanistan, operating under the patronage of the Afghan interim government, are being effectively attacked. Pakistan is using artillery, tanks, light and heavy weapons. In addition, aerial assets and drones are also being used to attack the hideouts of Daesh and Kharijite. The headquarters of the Afghan forces, which have been protecting Daesh and Fitna al-KhawarijThey are also in the spotlight.”
The Afghan Defense Ministry earlier confirmed that Afghan forces launched “retaliatory operations against Pakistani security forces” tonight.
“The operations ended at midnight. If the opposing side violates the territory of Afghanistan again, our armed forces are ready to defend their territory and will respond firmly,” the statement said.
Infiltration attempts in Pishin, Zhob
Pakistani posts were also attacked in the Baramcha area of Chagai district, which borders Afghanistan’s Helmand province. “Afghan forces opened indiscriminate fire on Pakistani border posts with heavy weapons on Saturday night,” a senior official said.
He added that Afghan border posts were destroyed and victims were taken from the other side. “The intense exchange of fire continued for two hours.”
Security sources claimed that Afghan forces also attempted to infiltrate Pishin and Zhob districts. However, the attempts were defeated by Pakistani forces in the area.
Calls for moderation
Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi called on Afghanistan and Pakistan “to exercise restraint” amid ongoing clashes.
“Our position is that both sides must act with restraint,” Araghchi said during a live interview with state television, adding that “stability” between the countries “contributes to regional stability.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, with whom Pakistan recently signed a mutual defense agreement, expressed concern over the skirmishes.
“The kingdom calls for restraint, avoiding escalation and embracing dialogue and wisdom to help 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, and its continued commitment to ensuring security, which will achieve stability and prosperity for the brotherly people of Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry urged both sides to prioritize dialogue, diplomacy and moderation, and to work to contain differences in a way that helps reduce tension and avoid escalation, in order to achieve regional security and stability.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Qatar’s support for all regional and international efforts aimed at strengthening international peace and security, and affirmed its commitment to ensuring the security and prosperity of the people of the two countries.
Deterioration of bilateral relations
Last week there were heightened tensions and both sides exchanged harsh statements. Pakistan suffered multiple casualties among security forces in intelligence-based operations against terrorists, while Afghanistan accused the former of violating its sovereignty.
The issue of terrorists using Afghan soil against Pakistan, along with frequent border skirmishes, has long strained ties between the two countries, and Islamabad has repeatedly urged the interim Afghan government to stop allowing its territory to be used for attacks.
Islamabad maintains its patience is wearing thin after a series of deadly attacks inside Pakistan that it blames on militants operating from Afghan territory. “Enough is enough, the patience of the Pakistani government and armed forces has run out,” Asif had said in the National Assembly on Thursday.
Kabul, however, denies accusations of providing safe haven to these groups. Meanwhile, Afghan officials publicly blamed Pakistan a day ago. The Afghan Defense Ministry said: “Once again, Pakistan violated Afghan airspace, bombed a civilian market in Paktika airspace near the Durand Line and also violated the territory of the capital Kabul.”
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India earlier this week, marking India’s first high-level engagement with the Taliban government since it came to power in 2021.
Speaking about the Thursday night explosion in Kabul during a press conference in New Delhi a day ago, Muttaqi condemned the incident and condemned Pakistan for its alleged role in it.
Earlier, Director General (DG) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, did not respond directly when asked if Pakistan was responsible for the attacks. “To safeguard the lives and properties of Pakistanis, necessary measures will be taken,” he told reporters.
The Foreign Ministry had avoided directly acknowledging the attacks in Kabul and instead framed Pakistan’s counterterrorism actions as self-defense against militants operating from Afghan soil.
At a separate press conference in Peshawar, held almost simultaneously with the FO briefing, the ISPR Director General also refused to confirm or deny whether the military had carried out attacks in Kabul. However, he stressed Pakistan’s right and determination to defend itself. “Afghanistan is being used as a base of operations to carry out terrorism in Pakistan. There is evidence of this too,” he said.
