Heavy clashes erupted along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border late Saturday after Afghan Taliban forces attacked several Pakistani military posts, prompting a fierce response from Islamabad, officials said.
Pakistan interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised security forces for their “prompt and effective response,” saying Afghan forces’ firing on civilians violated international law. “Afghanistan is being answered with stones for bricks,” he wrote on X, adding that the people of Pakistan stood firmly behind the army.
Pakistani officials said troops retaliated with artillery, tanks, drones, and air support, targeting militant hideouts and Afghan border posts in Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral, and Baramcha. Security sources reported heavy losses among Afghan forces and militant formations linked to the Islamic State group and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Defense said Afghan forces launched “retaliatory operations” against Pakistani troops after alleged Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul and Paktika earlier in the week.
Pakistan has not confirmed carrying out airstrikes but maintains its actions are legitimate self-defense against cross-border terrorism.
Regional powers including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar urged both sides to show restraint and resolve tensions through dialogue, warning that continued hostilities threaten to destabilize an already volatile region.