As Pakistan-Afghanistan Border War Escalates, Taliban Claims Dozens Of Pak Soldiers Killed, Posts Captured

The long-simmering tensions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban appear to have erupted into a full-scale confrontation along the Durand Line, the disputed 2,600-km border separating the two countries. Just a few days back, Pakistan had declared an open war against the Taliban.

In a significant escalation, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Defence has claimed that Afghan forces carried out coordinated attacks across multiple border provinces, inflicting heavy losses on Pakistani troops and capturing several border posts.

The development signals one of the most serious military confrontations between Islamabad and the Taliban government since the group returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict: What did the Taliban spokesperson reveal?

According to Sediqullah Nusrat, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence, Taliban forces launched synchronised military operations overnight across several provinces bordering Pakistan. The areas cited include Kandahar, Nangarhar, Kunar, Nuristan, Khost, Paktika, Paktia.

Taliban officials, as cited in a News18 report, claim the offensive killed at least 41 Pakistani soldiers and wounded more than 53 others within 24 hours, suggesting the fighting has been more intense than publicly acknowledged by Islamabad. While Pakistan has not confirmed these figures, the Taliban say the operations targeted Pakistan’s forward defensive positions along the border.

How is this linked to Pakistan’s ‘Operation Ghazab-ul-Haq’?

The Taliban say the attacks were retaliation for Pakistan’s ongoing military campaign “Operation Ghazab-ul-Haq.” Pakistan launched the operation after accusing the Taliban government of allowing Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants to use Afghan territory as a base for attacks inside Pakistan.

Under the operation, Pakistan has reportedly carried out airstrikes targeting suspected militant hideouts in Afghan territory, including areas near Kabul and Kandahar. In response, the Taliban appear to have shifted toward large-scale ground offensives against Pakistani border positions.

Have Pakistani border posts been captured?

Taliban officials claim their fighters captured or destroyed between 19 and 27 Pakistani border posts during the latest clashes. Some of the most intense fighting reportedly occurred in Spin Boldak district in Kandahar, Ali-Sher district in Khost. Taliban sources also claim their forces seized weapons, ammunition and heavy military equipment from Pakistani positions.

If verified, the loss of multiple outposts could expose significant vulnerabilities in Pakistan’s border defence network.

Air war and drone attacks

The conflict is not limited to ground fighting. Taliban sources claim that three Pakistani reconnaissance drones were shot down over Afghan territory, suggesting attempts by Islamabad to maintain surveillance over the conflict zone.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has reportedly carried out intensive airstrikes around Jalalabad and near Bagram, targeting suspected militant infrastructure.

Taliban-linked media outlets have also claimed retaliatory strikes inside Pakistan’s Balochistan province, including areas near Kuchlak and Quetta, though these claims remain unverified.

How does the TTP factor into the conflict?

A key trigger for the current crisis is Pakistan’s accusation that the Afghan Taliban is sheltering the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP, a militant group responsible for multiple attacks in Pakistan, has urged fighters to support Afghan Taliban forces in the ongoing clashes.

However, the Taliban government has repeatedly argued that TTP militancy is an internal Pakistani issue, denying direct involvement.

The dispute has steadily eroded relations between Islamabad and Kabul, despite Pakistan once being viewed as a key supporter of the Taliban.