ISLAMABAD: Pakistani military forces have taken control of 19 Afghan border posts following a series of cross-border attacks, according to security sources, who described the operation as a response to what they called “unprovoked aggression” from Afghanistan.
The offensive began late Saturday night and continued into the early hours of Sunday, with Pakistani forces deploying heavy artillery to strike Taliban positions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier.
Security sources said Afghan forces manning the posts were either killed or fled, leaving behind weapons, uniforms, and abandoned installations.
Video footage obtained by Pakistan TV Digital shows extensive destruction at multiple locations, including fires at captured posts and the interiors of seized installations strewn with military gear. In one clip, an Afghan Taliban fighter appears to surrender to Pakistani troops.
Among the key positions targeted were posts in Qila Abdullah’s Liaoband sector, Barabcha, Kharchar Fort in Chitral, and the Taliban’s Manojba Camps 2 & 3. Pakistani sources alleged that Kharchar Fort had served as a command hub for militant operations, while the Barabcha battalion was facilitating cross-border terrorist infiltration into Pakistan.
A tank position located on a peak across from Pakistan’s Kurram district was also hit, destroying several Taliban tanks, according to the sources.
Officials described the operation as a “targeted response” against terrorist hideouts and training centers, stressing that Pakistan had no intention of harming Afghan civilians or public infrastructure. They accused the Afghan interim government and “Indian-sponsored terrorist networks” of orchestrating the aggression.
“This is not a war between the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan,” the security sources said. “It is a fight against terrorist elements operating in Afghanistan under Indian patronage. Pakistan reserves the right to respond more forcefully to any future aggression or terrorism.”
The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, presented counter-claims in a press conference in Kabul, saying that “the situation on all official borders and de facto lines of Afghanistan is under complete control, and illegal activities have been largely prevented.”
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar urge restraint
Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Qatar on Sunday expressed concern over the escalating border clashes, calling on both nations to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through dialogue.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia follows with concern the tensions and clashes witnessed in the border areas between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the State of Afghanistan,” the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X, formerly Twitter.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry also warned of the potential repercussions for regional stability, urging both sides to prioritize “dialogue, diplomacy, and restraint.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a similar statement, calling on Islamabad and Kabul to avoid escalation.
“Iran is closely monitoring developments and calls on both sides to engage diplomatically to prevent further escalation,” a spokesperson in Tehran said. “Peace and cooperation must prevail over confrontation.”
Border crossings closed
Key crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan were closed Sunday after intense overnight clashes, following Taliban accusations that Islamabad had conducted airstrikes earlier in the week, officials said.
Officials on both sides confirmed that the Torkham crossing, connecting Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with Afghanistan’s Nangarhar, and the Chaman crossing, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) southwest, were shut down.
‘Provocations by Afghanistan’
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned what he described as “provocations by Afghanistan” along the border overnight.
“There will be no compromise on Pakistan’s defense,” Sharif said in a statement. “Every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response.”
Sharif also slammed the Taliban government for allowing Afghan soil to be used by “terrorist elements” targeting Pakistan.
