A Pakistani soldier stands guard at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border Ikram post in Chaman, Pakistan, 27 March 2025. Photo: VCG

Firefights broke out along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border late on Saturday, with the Afghan Taliban attacking Pakistani posts, Reuters reported Sunday, citing security officials from both countries, following a Pakistani airstrike in Kabul this week.

NBC News reported Sunday that the Taliban government's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Afghan forces have captured 25 Pakistani army posts, 58 soldiers have been killed, and 30 others wounded.

According to the update released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR,) the public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, as a result of the operations, 21 positions on the Afghan side of border were also briefly physically captured and multiple terrorist training camps, used to plan and facilitate attacks against Pakistan, were rendered inoperative.

Also, 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 20 were injured during the overnight skirmishes. And the ISPR said that according to credible intelligence estimates and damage assessment, more than 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists have been neutralized while the number of injured is much higher, Islamabad Post reported on Sunday evening.

This escalation comes after a Pakistani airstrike in Kabul this week, as reported by security officials from both nations, The Guardian reported on Saturday evening.

According to The Guardian, on Thursday, two explosions were reported in the Afghan capital and another in southeastern Afghanistan. The Taliban-run defense ministry subsequently accused Pakistan of "violating its sovereignty" in connection with the attacks.

According to the Reuters, the airstrikes were not officially acknowledged by Islamabad.

According to Reuters, Pakistani security officials said that they were responding "with full force" to what they called unprovoked firing from Afghanistan. The exchange of fire took place at more than six locations along the border, they said.

Reuters noted that Pakistani security officials said their military had destroyed several Afghan posts, said the report.

Reuters reported that Enayatullah Khowarazmi, spokesperson for Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense, said it was a retaliatory operation for Pakistan's violation of Afghan airspace. He said the attack concluded at midnight local time.

"If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan's airspace, our armed forces are prepared to defend their airspace and will deliver a strong response," Khowarazmi said.
There was no immediate response from Pakistan on whether the clashes had ended. The border runs for 2,600 km, according to Reuters.

According to NBC News, Pakistan accuses Afghan authorities of harboring members of the banned group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Islamabad says the group carries out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, but Kabul denies the charge, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries.

A Pakistani security official had told Reuters this week that the airstrike had targeted the leader of the Pakistani Taliban militant group in Kabul, travelling in a vehicle. It was unclear if he had survived.

Global Times