Eight killed on Afghan side during border clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA: At least eight individuals were killed and 13, including civilians, were injured on the Afghan side during ongoing clashes at the border, which continued late into Saturday night, according to security officials, Dawn reported.

The intense exchange of fire followed an escalation in tensions after Pakistani fighter jets targeted alleged camps of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province earlier this week.

The clashes erupted after a failed attempt by militants on the Afghan side to infiltrate Pakistan, triggering fresh fighting on Saturday. One Frontier Corps soldier was martyred, and 11 others sustained injuries in the renewed violence. Security sources confirmed that on Friday night, militants attempted to breach the border, but their efforts were thwarted by Pakistani forces.

Following the failed infiltration attempt, the militants joined Afghan forces and launched an attack on Pakistani posts with both light and heavy weapons on Saturday morning.

The Afghan forces, in coordination with militants, targeted several Pakistani border posts in areas including Ghozgarhi, Matha Sangar, Kot Ragha, and Tari Mengal. The clashes lasted throughout the day. Pakistani forces responded with retaliatory fire, inflicting significant losses on the Afghan side, and forcing the attackers to abandon their border posts, sources claimed as per Dawn.

Pakistan has repeatedly expressed concerns over the use of Afghan soil by militants for cross-border attacks, particularly in regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed the issue last week, urging the Afghan government to take decisive action against the TTP, emphasising that attacks from Afghan soil were a "red line" for Pakistan. He also stated that while Pakistan is willing to engage in talks with Kabul, dialogue cannot occur alongside ongoing attacks.

On the same day as the airstrikes, a Pakistani delegation, led by Special Representative Muhammad Sadiq, met with Afghan leaders in Kabul to resume diplomatic dialogue after a year-long hiatus, Dawn reported.

The Afghan government lodged a protest over the airstrikes, claiming that at least 46 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed. The strikes followed an attack in South Waziristan last week, which resulted in the martyrdom of 16 Pakistani soldiers.