Afghanistan says it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in nighttime border operations: NPR

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan said Sunday it had killed 58 Pakistani soldiers during nighttime border operations, in response to what it called repeated violations of its territory and airspace.

Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital Kabul and a market in the east of the country. Pakistan has not claimed responsibility for the assault.

The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Afghan forces captured 25 Pakistani army posts, 58 soldiers were killed and 30 others injured.

“The situation at all official borders and de facto lines of Afghanistan is completely under control and illegal activities have been largely prevented,” Mujahid told a news conference in Kabul. There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan about the casualties.

Pakistan has previously struck locations inside Afghanistan, targeting what it claims are militant hideouts, but these were in remote and mountainous areas. The two sides have also had skirmishes along the border in the past. The violent clashes on Saturday evening underline the growing tensions.

The Taliban government’s Defense Ministry said early Sunday morning that its forces had carried out “successful retaliatory operations” along the border.

“If the opposing party again violates the territorial integrity of Afghanistan, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the country’s borders and will provide a firm response,” the ministry added.

The Torkham border crossing, one of the two main trade routes between the two countries, did not open at its usual time of 8 a.m. on Sunday.

The Chaman crossing in southwest Pakistan was also closed. People, including Afghan refugees leaving Pakistan, have been turned back due to the deteriorating security situation.

An Associated Press reporter in Chaman heard jets flying over Spin Boldak, a town in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, and saw smoke rising after an explosion.

Regional powers call for calm as Pakistan condemns attack

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 accusations, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries.

Before the Afghans announced casualties, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault and said the country’s army “not only gave a befitting response to Afghanistan’s provocations, but also destroyed several of its posts, forcing them to retreat.”

Pakistani security officials have shared videos purporting to show destroyed checkpoints in Afghanistan, but the footage could not be independently verified because the media does not have access to these areas.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement late Saturday calling for “restraint, avoiding escalation, and embracing dialogue and wisdom to help defuse tensions and maintain security and stability in the region.”

Saudi Arabia has just concluded a mutual defense agreement with Pakistan, which apparently brought the kingdom under Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella following the Israeli attack on Qatar.

Qatar also expressed concern over escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

A senior Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said Afghan forces opened fire in several border areas in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including Chitral, Bajaur, Mohmand, Angoor Adda and Kurram districts.

The official also said troops responded with heavy weapons near Tirah in Khyber district and across the border in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.

The two countries share a 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border known as the Durand Line, but Afghanistan has never recognized it.