ISLAMABAD: Pakistani forces targeted Afghan posts in an exchange of fire along the border between the two states on Wednesday, state-run media reported, saying that Afghanistan suffered “heavy losses” as a result of the skirmish.
Clashes along the border between the neighboring countries have happened frequently in the past. In September, Pakistan said it killed eight Afghan Taliban fighters after they opened “unprovoked firing” at Pakistani forces.
Previous clashes have led to the closure of key crossings like Torkham and Chaman, severely disrupting trade and halting the movement of people between the two states. In August, the Torkham border was shut down for three days after the Afghan Taliban announced they were investigating reports of Pakistani fighter jets allegedly violating Afghan airspace to patrol Nangarhar and Kunar provinces.
The latest skirmish between the border forces of the two countries took place along the Nushki-Ghaznali sector, Radio Pakistan said. It added that Afghan forces opened fire on Pakistani posts as Pakistani personnel were repairing the border fence between the two countries.
“The security sources said that the Afghan forces suffered heavy losses due to effective retaliation by Pakistan,” Radio Pakistan said. “They said Pakistan will continue to take effective measures to protect its borders.”
However, the state media did not provide details of the losses it said had been inflicted on the Afghan forces.
Citing security sources, the state broadcaster said Pakistan’s forces “will not compromise their territorial integrity.”
Pakistani officials have previously accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering and facilitating the banned militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP has launched several attacks on Pakistan’s security forces since November 2022 after a fragile truce between the two sides broke down.
Islamabad has also urged Kabul not to allow such armed factions to use Afghan territory to launch attacks in the region. The Afghan authorities, however, deny these allegations, maintaining that Pakistan’s security challenges are an internal issue for Islamabad.
Pakistan last year launched a deportation drive to expel undocumented immigrants from its country. The move impacted mostly Afghan refugees in the country, with Islamabad expelling around 700,000 Afghans.
The deportation drive strained ties further between the two nations, with Afghanistan calling on Pakistan to avoid forcefully expelling its nationals.
