ALBAWABA- Afghan Taliban forces said they launched a large-scale retaliatory offensive against Pakistani military positions along the disputed Durand Line on Thursday, claiming to have seized multiple border posts and inflicted heavy casualties.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said fighters captured up to 17 Pakistani border posts in areas including Kurram and North Waziristan, and killed at least 40 Pakistani soldiers. He described the assault as retaliation for what he called repeated Pakistani military provocations, including recent airstrikes inside Afghan territory that he said killed civilians and violated national sovereignty.
Pakistani authorities rejected the claims, calling the attacks “unprovoked” and stating that their forces responded swiftly and effectively. Islamabad said it repelled the assaults, destroyed Taliban positions, and limited its own casualties, though it did not provide detailed figures. Casualty numbers from both sides could not be independently verified.
The escalation follows Pakistani airstrikes on February 22 in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Paktika provinces. Islamabad said the strikes targeted bases belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State Khorasan militants, killing more than 70 insurgents. The Afghan Taliban, however, accused Pakistan of hitting civilian areas and said at least 18 non-combatants, including women and children, were killed.
The cross-border strikes came amid a renewed surge in TTP attacks inside Pakistan, including a recent suicide bombing in Bannu that killed two soldiers. Border tensions have intensified in recent weeks, echoing similar clashes in 2025 that left hundreds dead and displaced thousands of residents on both sides.
Afghan officials deny that militant groups operate from their territory and have accused Pakistan of backing rival extremist factions. Pakistani leaders, meanwhile, warn of firm retaliation against any further cross-border attacks and accuse Kabul of failing to curb militant activity targeting Pakistan.
Continued hostilities along the Durand Line risk destabilizing the broader region, disrupting trade routes, and worsening an already fragile humanitarian situation.
