Pakistan bombed key Taliban positions across Afghanistan, prompting Kabul’s major military mobilization along the Durand Line. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed forces seized 15 Pakistani security posts and killed several soldiers in fierce clashes.
Pakistani Offensive Details
Pakistan’s airstrikes targeted Taliban military offices, posts, and ammunition depots in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, and Nangarhar under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. Islamabad reported 133 militants killed and 27 posts destroyed, responding to cross-border firing that killed two Pakistani soldiers.
Taliban Counteroffensive Claims
Mujahid announced heavy retaliatory operations capturing one headquarters and 19 Pakistani outposts, killing 55 soldiers with 23 bodies recovered. Four additional posts were reportedly burned, alongside seized weapons, one destroyed tank, and captured vehicles.
Flashpoint Regions
Clashes intensified near Torkham crossing, Shahkot, Angoor Adda (South Waziristan), Chitral, Khyber, Bajaur, and Kurram. Both nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged artillery, with Pakistani quadcopters and Afghan forces contesting strategic border heights.
Conflicting Casualty Reports
| Claims | Pakistan | Taliban |
|---|---|---|
| Enemy Killed | 133 militants | 55 Pakistani soldiers |
| Posts Affected | 27 destroyed, 9 captured | 19 seized, 4 burned |
| Pakistani Losses | 2 soldiers | N/A |
Pakistan calls it “open war”; UN reports 13-18 Afghan civilian deaths from initial strikes.
Regional Crisis Implications
Escalation risks broader instability, refugee flows, and terror spillover. India monitors amid its western border tensions; global powers urge ceasefire amid unverifiable battlefield claims.
