Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday night praised security forces after the Pakistan army responded to unprovoked attacks by Afghan Taliban fighters on border posts. Clashes between the two sides were reported in multiple areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
“Firing by Afghan forces on civilians is a blatant violation of international law. Pakistan’s brave forces have demonstrated, by giving a swift and effective response, that no provocation will be tolerated,” the Interior 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.”
Previously, security sources confirmed that Pakistani forces deployed on the international border “attacked several Afghan border posts.” There are reports of significant damage inflicted on multiple Afghan militant outposts and formations, security officials added.
Artillery, tanks and light and heavy weapons were used in the retaliatory action, security forces said. Afghan forces attacked Pakistani posts in Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baramcha in Balochistan.
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.”
A later statement from security sources said: “Several Afghan soldiers were killed and Kharijite formations withdrew due to effective and intense retaliation by Pakistani forces. Afghan posts did not provide covering fire to Kharijite. Reports of heavy losses in several Afghan posts and Kharijite formations.”
“The hideouts of Kharijites and Daesh inside Afghanistan, operating under the patronage of the interim Afghan 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-Khawarij, are also being attacked.”
In a series of posts on (Balochistan)”.
He said Pakistan was currently “striking with great precision terrorist camps and hideouts of khawarij, ISIS located near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border inside Afghanistan. Afghan forces have withdrawn from several areas.”
The Afghan Ministry of Defense stated 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. “The Afghan force 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, but 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 was particularly loaded with statements from both sides, as Pakistan suffered a series of casualties among security forces in intelligence-based operations, 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, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General 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, military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry 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.
