Pakistan’s military, backed by artillery and air power, struck more Afghan military installations deep inside Afghanistan overnight and into early Saturday, killing over 300 Afghan forces in dayslong border clashes, a government spokesman and officials said.
The two sides have targeted each other’s military positions since Thursday night, when Afghanistan launched strikes in response to Pakistani attacks that Islamabad said hit seven training camps and hideouts of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group is separate but closely allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban.
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More than 331 Afghan Taliban forces had been killed and over 500 others wounded during the ongoing military strikes in Afghanistan, according to Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, who said Pakistan also destroyed 102 Afghan posts, captured 22 others and destroyed 163 tanks and armored vehicles at 37 locations.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s state-run media reported the country’s air force carried out strikes targeting key military installations in various areas of eastern Afghanistan.
According to Pakistani authorities, hundreds of residents living near the northwestern Torkham border crossing have fled to safer areas. In recent days, Pakistan has also transported dozens of Afghan refugees who had been waiting at the Torkham crossing to return home to safer locations.
There was no immediate comment from Afghanistan’s government on the Pakistani claims Saturday.
Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry on Saturday said Afghanistan attacked Pakistani military bases in Miranshah and Spin Wam overnight, destroying military installations and causing heavy casualties in response to the ongoing airstrikes by Pakistan.
In eastern Afghanistan, the Department of Information and Culture accused Pakistan of targeting civilian areas, destroying homes and killing at least 11 people. There was no immediate response from Pakistan, which has said it is targeting only military installations to avoid any civilian casualties.
Mullah Taj Mohammad Naqshbandi, an Afghan commissioner on Afghan side of the Torkham border, in a statement said Saturday that the “brave forces of the Islamic Emirate destroyed the Pakistani military regime’s commissariat, military units, and three important security towers.”
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On Friday, the Afghan government said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed during its strikes and Afghan losses were far lower than Pakistan claimed.
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Friday that the country’s attacks on Pakistani military targets were meant as “a message that our hands can reach their throats and that we will respond to every evil act of Pakistan.” He added that “Pakistan has never sought to resolve problems through dialogue.”
The same day, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif wrote on X: “Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us.” Pakistan has frequently accused Kabul of sheltering the TTP, allegations the group and Afghanistan’s Taliban government deny.
