KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban and Pakistan reported heavy casualties on both sides as clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border continue, with civilian casualties rising amid airstrikes and ground fighting.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that the group’s fighters had killed at least 150 Pakistani soldiers, captured 40 military posts, and shot down five drones since clashes began last week. Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarazmi also confirmed that 28 Taliban fighters had been killed and 42 wounded during the fighting.
Pakistani officials provided significantly higher figures, claiming their forces had killed at least 464 Taliban fighters and wounded more than 665, destroyed 188 Taliban checkpoints, captured 31 posts, and destroyed 192 tanks and armored vehicles.
There has been no independent verification of the figures from either side.
Meanwhile, Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said at a press conference on Tuesday that at least 110 civilians had been killed and 123 injured in Pakistani airstrikes and rocket attacks on border provinces, with most victims being women and children.
Fitrat said Pakistani forces had targeted residential homes, mosques, religious schools, refugee camps, and public facilities across Laghman, Nangarhar, Kunar, Khost, Paktika, and Kandahar provinces, destroying 37 houses completely and partially damaging 316 others.
Earlier, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported lower civilian casualties, recording at least 146, including 42 deaths and 104 injuries, caused by indirect fire and airstrikes. UNAMA also said fighting had displaced around 16,400 households, forcing families to seek shelter in nearby districts.
The clashes began late last Thursday after the Taliban launched a “retaliatory operation” against Pakistani border positions following airstrikes in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces. Pakistan has since carried out further airstrikes targeting multiple locations, including Kabul and Kandahar, while Taliban attacks on Pakistani border posts continue.
Tensions have escalated along the porous border, raising fears of a wider confrontation, as airstrikes and ground fighting continue with no immediate sign of de-escalation.
