Taliban Claims to Have Eliminated 30 Pakistani Soldiers in Border Clashes
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kabul, March 6 (NationPress) Authorities in Afghanistan have reported that Taliban forces are claimed to have killed 30 soldiers from Pakistan during violent confrontations along the Durand Line border, according to local media sources quoting a defense ministry spokesperson.
Enayatullah Khwarazmi, the spokesperson for the Taliban's defense ministry, stated that the clashes occurred in the Shorabak district of Kandahar province, where it is alleged that Taliban fighters managed to seize a military outpost from Pakistan, as reported by Khaama Press.
Following the capture, Khwarazmi mentioned that the outpost was subsequently destroyed using explosives.
He asserted that 30 Pakistani soldiers lost their lives in the combat, including 20 who were deployed for bolstering the outpost. Additionally, he stated that Taliban fighters took control of five Pakistani military posts in the Dand Patan region of Paktia and penetrated posts Top Sar Khwuch Karam and Anzerki Sar, as reported by Khaama Press.
As of now, Pakistani officials have not issued a statement confirming the Taliban's claims regarding the fatalities of their soldiers.
This ongoing conflict highlights the increasing instability along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where persistent clashes and claims of casualties continue to strain the relationship between the two countries.
On March 3, Afghan officials reported that their forces executed retaliatory strikes on Pakistani military installations following recent air strikes conducted by the Pakistan Air Force within Afghan territory.
The Afghan defense ministry indicated that its forces targeted several vital military sites close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, including areas connected to Kabul, the Ali-Sher district in Khost, Jalalabad, and Kandahar.
According to Afghan authorities, their military has taken control of multiple Pakistani military posts in Kandahar province, particularly in the Spin Boldak and Shorabak districts.
Reports indicate that three posts were captured in Spin Boldak, leading to the deaths of three Pakistani soldiers and the capture of one serviceman. Furthermore, two Pakistani posts were seized in the Ali-Sher district, according to Afghanistan-based TOLO News.
This latest wave of hostilities commenced when Taliban-led Afghan forces launched counter-offensive operations against Pakistani military installations on February 27, following Pakistan's actions against militants within Afghan territory on February 21. In retaliation to Afghanistan's strikes, Pakistan initiated 'Operation Ghazab lil-Haq' (Righteous Fury), addressing what it described as "unprovoked firing" by Afghan forces across various border sectors.