AFGHAN forces have carried out retaliatory strikes on Pakistani military bases following recent air raids by the Pakistan Air Force inside Afghanistan, as fighting along the volatile Durand Line entered its fifth consecutive day. The Afghan Defence Ministry said its forces targeted several key military locations near the 2,600-km Pakistan-Afghanistan border, including areas linked to Kabul, the Ali-Sher district in Khost, Jalalabad and Kandahar. The escalation marks the latest surge in tensions along the Durand Line, where hostilities have intensified since Pakistan’s February 21-22 strikes on what it described as terror camps.

 

According to Afghan officials, their forces have captured multiple Pakistani military posts in Kandahar province, specifically in the Spin Boldak and Shorabak districts. Three posts were reportedly seized in Spin Boldak, resulting in the deaths of three Pakistani soldiers and the capture of one serviceman. In addition, two Pakistani posts were taken over in the Ali-Sher district, Afghanistan-based TOLOnews reported. Over the past four days, both the Pakistani and Afghan militaries have engaged in cross-border targeting of each other’s positions. Although the clashes are described as the heaviest in years, officials indicated that the intensity has somewhat subsided compared to the initial phase of the confrontation.