Gunfights erupt on Afghan-Pak border over airspace violation claims
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Kabul: Heavy clashes broke out between Taliban forces and Pakistani security personnel along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, escalating tensions following allegations of Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory earlier this week.
According to officials from several Afghan provinces, Taliban fighters launched a retaliatory assault on Pakistani border posts, accusing Islamabad of violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty through air raids targeting Kabul and other regions. On Thursday, two explosions were reported in the Afghan capital and another in the southeastern province, prompting Afghanistan’s Taliban-run Ministry of Defence on Friday to blame Pakistan for the attacks.
“In retaliation for air strikes carried out by the Pakistani army on Kabul, Taliban forces are engaged in heavy clashes against Pakistani security forces in various areas along the border,” the Afghan military said in an official statement.
The gunfights reportedly erupted at more than six locations along the volatile 2,600-kilometre frontier, with both sides claiming significant military action. Taliban sources asserted that they had captured three Pakistani border posts during the confrontations, while Pakistani officials countered that several Taliban positions were destroyed in their retaliatory strikes.
“We are responding with full force to unprovoked firing from the Afghan side,” a senior Pakistani security official said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Videos shared online by Pakistani security officials appeared to show exchanges of heavy gunfire and artillery lighting up the night sky across the border.
Afghan Defence Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khowarazmi confirmed the cross-border fighting, stating that the Taliban’s operation was a direct response to Pakistan’s airspace violations and had concluded around midnight local time.
“If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s airspace, our armed forces are prepared to defend it and will respond strongly,” Khowarazmi warned.
Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of harbouring Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants who conduct attacks across the border, a persistent source of strain between the two neighbours.
As of Sunday morning, Pakistan had not issued an official statement confirming whether the hostilities had subsided. The situation remains tense, with fears of further escalation threatening already fragile bilateral relations.
With IANS inputs