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Taliban and Pakistan Trade Heavy Fire Along Border After Kabul Strike

Rival claims of gains continue, with the dispute rooted in Pakistan’s charge that the Taliban shelter TTP militants.

Overview

  • Overnight on October 11–12, firefights erupted at multiple points along the Durand Line, with artillery, tanks and drones reported in use by Pakistani forces and Taliban units asserting counterattacks.
  • Pakistani security sources confirmed three soldiers and one civilian killed and five soldiers wounded, while Afghan casualties and territorial changes could not be independently verified.
  • The Taliban government claimed 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 25 posts captured in what it called retaliation for recent Pakistani airstrikes, figures that Islamabad has not confirmed.
  • Pakistan said it destroyed several Afghan border posts, forced Taliban retreats and shot down quadcopters suspected of carrying explosives, while placing forces on high alert.
  • Authorities closed key crossings at Torkham and Chaman and regional governments including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar called for restraint as reporting from the border remained difficult to verify.