Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Afghan forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and targeted what he described as “important military objectives” inside Pakistan. They also captured two bases along with 19 posts The Afghan Taliban attacked several check posts along the border late on Thursday, apparently to avenge the air strikes carried out by Pakistan in Afghanistan’s border areas on Sunday. Pakistan responded by hitting targets in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia under ‘Operation Ghazab lil Haq’ early on Friday. Pakistan on Friday said it was in an “open war” with Afghanistan after its forces killed more than 270 Taliban fighters and injured over 400 others in airstrikes in response to what Islamabad described as the cross-border attack by the Afghan Taliban. According to the Ministry, the attacks took place on Thursday night in response to Pakistan’s strikes on Afghan territory, which killed women and children.

 

The retaliatory operation by Afghan forces targeted posts of Pakistani military forces in the east and southeast directions, across the Durand Line. During these operations, the Ministry said, the Afghan forces destroyed two Pakistani military bases and 19 posts, forcing soldiers to flee from four additional posts. It added that over the course of the four-hour battle, 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, several others were captured alive, and many others managed to escape. “In these operations, dozens of light and heavy weapons, ammunition, and military supplies were seized by Afghan forces. Additionally, an enemy tank was destroyed, and a large military transport vehicle was captured,” the Ministry stated. Additionally, it said, 8 Afghan soldiers were killed, and 11 others were injured during the operation. The Ministry also mentioned that 13 Afghan civilian citizens, including women and children, were injured in a missile attack by Pakistani forces on a refugee camp in the Afghan province of Nangarhar.

 

At least three explosions were heard in Kabul, but there was no immediate information on the exact location of the strikes in the Afghan capital. Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistan also carried out airstrikes in Kandahar to the south and in the southeastern province of Paktia. The 2,611-km-long border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is known as the Durand Line, which Kabul has not formally recognised. Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistani forces “killed 274 Taliban personnel and khwarij, while another 400 were injured.” Twelve Pakistani soldiers were killed, while 27 others injured, and one was missing in action, he added.

 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, where he was given a detailed briefing on the current situation, Chaudhry said. According to a handout by the PM Office, Shehbaz said that zero tolerance should be adopted against the nexus between the Afghan Taliban and ‘Fitna al Khawarij’ and its malicious actions. The term ‘Fitna al Khawarij’ is used for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “The Afghan Taliban, who are A master proxy, launched unprovoked attacks at 53 locations in 15 sectors along the border in coordination with terrorists,” Chaudhry said, adding that Pakistan served an effective “brutal response” to the attacks.

 

The spokesperson said Pakistan destroyed 73 Afghan posts along the border while capturing another 18 posts, which are “in our possession”. He said that a conservative estimate showed that at least 115 tanks, armoured personnel carriers and artillery pieces were destroyed. He said the Afghan Taliban Corps Headquarters, Brigade Headquarters, Battalion Headquarters, and weapon depots were also destroyed in air attacks when jets hit targets at 22 places in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Khost, Paktika, and Laghman.

 

Taliban government spokesman Mujahid said that the recent strikes were intended to send a clear message that “our hand can reach their collar,” adding that any “malicious act” by Pakistan would be answered “in Islamabad.” “Afghan forces recovered weapons, ammunition, one tank and a military transport vehicle. 13 Islamic Emirate soldiers were killed and 22 others wounded in the fighting,” he said. Mujahid reiterated that Afghanistan seeks peaceful relations with neighbouring countries, including Pakistan and India.