Afghanistan has claimed that it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers and captured 25 of its army posts. Afghanistan has carried out these attacks to avenge the recent air attack on Kabul by Pakistan.
Afghanistan Pakistan Fight: The military conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan has intensified. On Sunday, Afghanistan claimed that its troops killed 58 Pakistani soldiers and captured 25 army posts. All this happened during the overnight operation on the border. Afghanistan has carried out these attacks to avenge the air attack carried out by Pakistan in Kabul. The claim of killing of soldiers has not been confirmed yet by Pakistan.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the main spokesman for the Taliban government, said the strikes were carried out in response to “repeated violations” of Afghan territory and airspace by Pakistan. “The situation is completely under control along all the official and de facto borders of Afghanistan. Illegal activities have been stopped to a great extent,” Mujahid said.
Pakistan had carried out air attack on Kabul
On the night of 9-10 October, Pakistan carried out an airstrike in Kabul. After this, the Taliban’s Defense Ministry said, “Its forces launched a retaliatory and successful operation on the border. If the opposing side again violates the territorial integrity of Afghanistan, our armed forces are fully prepared to protect the country’s borders and will give a strong response.”
Torkham and Chaman border crossings closed
Two major crossings, Torkham and Chaman, were closed on Sunday due to border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This brought trade and travel between the two countries to a halt. All the people, including Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan, were sent back under tight security. An Associated Press reporter in Chaman said the sound of jets was heard over Spin Boldak in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province. Smoke was seen rising after an explosion here.
Why did tension increase between Pakistan and Afghanistan?
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring terrorists of the banned organization Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It has carried out many attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies this allegation and says that it does not allow its land to be used against any country.
Before Afghanistan claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said that the army had given a befitting reply to Afghanistan’s provocation. Many of their posts have been destroyed. Due to this they have been forced to retreat.
Regional powers including Saudi Arabia and Qatar urged both countries to exercise restraint. Riyadh called for “stopping tensions from escalating and adopting dialogue and understanding.” At the same time, Qatar expressed concern over the worsening situation.
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The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is 2611 km long.
According to Pakistani security officials, the latest clashes took place in several districts of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. These include Chitral, Bajaur, Mohmand, Angoor Adda and Kurram. The border between the two countries is 2611 kilometers long. This is called Durand Line. This is a colonial era boundary. Afghanistan never formally recognized it.
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