Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Conflict Deepens As Taliban Claim 19 Outposts Overrun and 55 Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Retaliatory Strikes: What We Know So Far

The Taliban government of Afghanistan has asserted it undertook mass counterattack military operations on the controversial Durand Line as a retaliation measure to the recent airstrikes on its territory by Pakistan.

Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Conflict: What We Know So Far

An official statement issued by the Taliban military units said that the operations were conducted by the 203 Mansouri Corps and the 201 Khalid bin Walid  Corps in several eastern provinces including Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Kunar Nuristan and Nangarhar, and around the key Torkham border crossing. The Taliban put the move in perspective as an immediate retaliation to what it termed as recurring violations and provocation by Pakistani forces. The announcement is a sharp outbreak in the relations, already tense between Kabul and Islamabad, in the aftermath of earlier reports of civilian fatalities as a result of earlier air raids.

The Taliban also announced that its forces had taken control of one headquarters and nineteen military outposts of the Pakistani forces in the offensive, and four others were said to have been abandoned and burned down. According to their statement, the group accused that a total of 55 Pakistani soldiers had been killed in the attacks, and 23 bodies had been retrieved, and some others arrested. It also claimed that dozens of light and heavy weapons were captured, one tank was destroyed and that an armored or international harvester type vehicle was taken as a spoils of war. These assertions have not been substantiated yet, and the Pakistani officials have not officially verified the mentioned losses and the personnel seizure.

Is This A War?

Taliban officials told that the revenge operations were still being pursued and it might take more steps in case cross border attacks were still executed. The violence highlights the weak security conditions in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border which has been a hot spot since time immemorial because of militancy, land wrangles and claims of hosting hostile populations. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan based militants of many attacks on its territory and Taliban administration refuses the accusation of offering refuge to these groups. It is also feared that long term conflict will further destabilize the region, block trade routes, and create the possibility of civilian movement, which further makes the engagement of both sides in diplomacy more urgent.

Also Read: Afghanistan Launches Retaliatory Strikes On Pakistan Border Positions, Claims 15 Checkpoints Captured And Soldiers Taken Alive; Many Killed