Afghanistan says it has killed 58 Pakistani soldiers

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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan said Sunday it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations in response to what it called repeated violations of its territory and airspace. The Pakistan Army gave much lower casualty figures, saying 23 soldiers were killed.

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Earlier this week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital Kabul and a market in the east of the country. Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the attack.

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The Taliban government's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Afghan forces overran 25 Pakistani army posts, leaving 30 Pakistani soldiers wounded.

“The situation at all official and de facto borders of Afghanistan is under full control and illegal activities have been largely prevented,” Mujahid told a news conference in Kabul.

Pakistan has previously carried out strikes inside Afghanistan, targeting militant hideouts, but these were in remote and mountainous areas. The two sides have also clashed along the border in the past. Heavy clashes on Saturday night highlight growing tensions.

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The Taliban government's Defense Ministry said early Sunday that its forces had carried out “reactive and successful operations” along the border.

“If the opposing side again violates the territorial integrity of Afghanistan, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the country’s borders and will give a decisive response,” the ministry added.

The Torkham crossing, one of the two main trade routes between the two countries, did not open at its usual time of 8 a.m. on Sunday.

The Chaman checkpoint in southwest Pakistan was also closed. People, including Afghan refugees, leaving Pakistan have been turned away due to the deteriorating security situation.

An Associated Press reporter in Chaman heard the planes over Spin Boldak, a city in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, and saw smoke rising from the explosion.

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Regional powers call for calm

Pakistan accuses the Afghan authorities of harboring members of the banned group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. Islamabad claims the group carries out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, but Kabul denies the accusations, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries.

Pakistan is grappling with growing militancy, especially in areas bordering Afghanistan. It also accuses its nuclear-armed neighbor and rival India of supporting armed groups, without providing any evidence.

Nighttime border clashes could add to regional instability as India and Pakistan came close to war earlier this year following the massacre of tourists in the disputed Kashmir region.

India has also strengthened its relationship with Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, most recently announcing the upgrade of its technical mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy.

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The Saudi Foreign Ministry called for “restraint, prevention of escalation, and dialogue and wisdom to help de-escalate tensions and maintain security and stability in the region.” Saudi Arabia has just concluded a mutual defense pact with Pakistan. Qatar also called for restraint.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is on an official visit to India, told reporters that Afghanistan respects calls by the two Gulf powers to stop what he called “retaliatory strikes” on Pakistan. But he also warned that Kabul reserves the right to defend itself.

“We want a peaceful resolution to the situation, but if peace efforts fail, we have other options,” Mouttaqi said.

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Pakistan condemns the attack

Before Afghanistan's announcement of casualties, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and said the country's army “not only gave a befitting response to Afghan provocations, but also destroyed several of their posts, forcing them to retreat.”

Pakistani security officials shared videos purporting to show destroyed Afghan checkpoints, but the footage could not be independently verified because the media does not have access to the sites.

The Pakistan Army said that more than 200 “Taliban and associated terrorists have been neutralized and the number of wounded is much higher.”

According to Pakistani security officials, Afghan forces opened fire in several northwestern border areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

An official in Islamabad told The Associated Press that Pakistan had taken control of 19 Afghan border posts from which the attacks were launched. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

“Taliban personnel at these posts were either killed or fled. There were fires and visible destruction at captured Afghan posts,” the official added.

The two countries share a 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border known as the Durand Line, but Afghanistan has never recognized it.

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