Afghanistan announced its forces killed 58 Pakistani soldiers during overnight border battles, accusing Pakistan of violating its land and airspace.
Afghan officials claimed the strikes came after repeated Pakistani incursions, including bombings near Kabul and in eastern provinces.
Pakistan has not accepted responsibility for those attacks.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghan forces seized 25 Pakistani military posts and left 30 soldiers injured.
Mujahid stated that Afghan troops now maintain full control over all official border points and have halted illegal activity.
The Taliban Defence Ministry confirmed conducting “successful and retaliatory operations” along the frontier early Sunday.
It warned that Afghan troops would respond with full force if Pakistan violated their borders again.
Regional Tensions Intensify Along the Border
Pakistan has previously targeted areas inside Afghanistan it claimed were militant hideouts, often in remote mountain regions.
Both sides have exchanged cross-border fire several times in recent years, straining already fragile relations.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants who attack Pakistani security forces.
Afghan officials deny the accusation, insisting they do not allow their land to be used for assaults on neighbours.
Pakistan continues to battle rising militancy in border provinces and frequently blames both Afghanistan and India for supporting militants.
No concrete evidence has been presented to support those claims.
Pakistan Responds with Counterstrikes
Before Kabul’s announcement, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Afghan attacks and praised his army’s response.
He said Pakistani troops destroyed several Afghan positions, forcing their opponents to retreat across the border.
Pakistani security sources released videos they claimed showed damaged Afghan checkpoints, though the footage remains unverified.
The Pakistani military reported killing more than 200 “Taliban and affiliated fighters,” with many others wounded.
Officials said Afghan troops fired on multiple locations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, escalating hostilities.
Observers fear these clashes could further destabilize a region already on edge after months of rising tensions.
