Afghanistan announced that its troops killed 58 Pakistani soldiers during overnight border clashes.
Officials accused Pakistan of repeatedly violating Afghan airspace and territory before the confrontation erupted.
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said troops captured 25 Pakistani military posts and wounded 30 soldiers.
He confirmed that Afghan forces now fully control the borders and have curbed illegal cross-border activity.
The Defence Ministry declared the operations “retaliatory and successful,” vowing a strong response to future incursions.
Pakistan Denies Attacks, Tensions Escalate
Earlier in the week, Afghan officials accused Pakistan of bombing Kabul and an eastern market.
Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the alleged strikes, which heightened tensions between the two nations.
Islamabad has long accused Kabul of harbouring militants from Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned extremist group.
Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership rejected the accusation, insisting it prevents its soil from being used against neighbours.
Pakistan faces rising militancy near the Afghan border and blames both Kabul and India for fuelling unrest.
Regional Instability Looms as Border Violence Grows
The latest clashes risk worsening instability in South Asia, already strained by recent India-Pakistan hostilities.
Before Afghanistan announced casualties, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed his forces retaliated effectively.
He said the army destroyed several Afghan posts, forcing opposing troops to retreat.
Pakistani security officials released footage they said showed damaged Afghan checkpoints, though it remains unverified.
Military reports from Islamabad claimed over 200 Taliban and allied fighters were killed, with many more injured.
Officials added that Afghan troops opened fire in several border areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, sparking renewed conflict.
