Islamabad: Pakistan’s army unleashed a barrage of bombs on a Taliban military outpost on Tuesday evening, escalating tensions along the volatile Durand Line, only to encounter a fierce counteroffensive from Afghan fighters.
The skirmish, erupting around 7:47 pm IST near the Khost-Miranshah border, marks the latest flashpoint in a string of escalating confrontations between the neighbours.
According to Afghanistan’s Khost Governor’s spokesperson, Mustagfar Gurbaz, speaking to TOLOnews, the clash ignited when Pakistani troops attempted an incursion into the Palochi area of the Jaji Maidan district. “Their probe failed, and our forces responded swiftly with heavy fire,” he said. Fighting raged on into the night, with reports of intermittent exchanges echoing across the porous frontier.
In a bold propaganda move, the Afghan Taliban regime aired state TV footage showing their fighters storming a Pakistani military checkpoint along the Durand Line. The grainy video captures commandos seizing the outpost, overrunning defences, and taking several Pakistani soldiers captive amid bursts of gunfire. Officials claim the raid avenged recent Pakistani airstrikes deep inside Afghan territory, which killed civilians and Taliban personnel.
Pakistan, meanwhile, released thermal footage of its retaliatory strikes on the Afghan post, vowing to defend its sovereignty. Casualty figures remain unconfirmed, but sources hint at heavy losses on both sides, exacerbating fears of a broader conflict that could destabilise the region.
Amid the gunfire, a glimmer of diplomacy emerged. Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman offered to mediate peace talks, stressing an immediate ceasefire. “Bullets drown out dialogue; both nations are vital to each other, but their people will pay the ultimate price if this situation persists,” he urged.
As artillery thunders and drones hum, the fragile border truce hangs by a thread. With the Taliban accusing Pakistan of harbouring militants and Islamabad blaming Kabul for sheltering Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), de-escalation seems distant. The international community closely monitors this situation, concerned that it could spark a broader crisis.