KABUL – In a significant escalation of border tensions, the Taliban claimed on Sunday that its forces launched a major offensive overnight, resulting in the capture of 25 Pakistani military border outposts and the deaths of 58 Pakistani soldiers.
The allegations, made by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid during a press conference in Kabul, mark one of the most direct and severe public accusations leveled by the Afghan ruling group against its neighbor since returning to power in 2021. The claims could not be independently verified, and Pakistani officials have yet to issue an official response.
Details of the Clash
According to Mujahid, the clashes were a “direct response” to recent artillery attacks by Pakistani forces on Taliban positions in Afghanistan’s Helmand and Paktika provinces. He reported that in addition to the 58 Pakistani soldiers killed, at least 30 were wounded. The Taliban, he stated, lost nine of its own fighters with another nine wounded.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was forced to respond to this aggression,” Mujahid said, using the Taliban’s formal name for the country. “We will not tolerate the violation of our airspace or sovereignty.”
Broader Allegations and Accusations
The spokesman used the platform to launch a broadside against the Pakistani military establishment, accusing a “small clique” within the army of “plotting against Afghanistan” and destabilizing the region for personal or political gain. He asserted that the majority of Pakistan’s civil and military officials were opposed to these actions.
In a particularly sharp accusation, Mujahid directly linked Pakistan to the Islamic State Khorasan branch (ISIS-K), the Taliban’s primary rival insurgency within Afghanistan.
“ISIS originated in Pakistan and continues to operate with support from within the country,” he claimed. “Their leaders are living and recruiting in Pakistan and have carried out terrorist attacks inside Afghanistan using Pakistani soil.” He added that regional governments were aware ISIS-K maintained safe havens in Pakistan and blamed the group for attacks targeting Shia, Sufi, and Hindu minorities in Afghanistan.
Confusion on Airstrikes and Foreign Policy
The spokesman’s comments also revealed a potential inconsistency within the Taliban’s own reporting. Mujahid denied recent Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul, stating the aircraft “only caused explosions” without hitting their targets. This directly contradicted an earlier statement from the Taliban’s defense ministry, which had confirmed that such strikes occurred.
On foreign relations, Mujahid reiterated that Afghanistan would maintain its ties with India “based on national interests,” a move often viewed with deep suspicion in Islamabad, which sees it as a strategic encirclement. He framed this as a sovereign right, similar to Pakistan’s own foreign policy approach.
Analysts Warn of Dangerous Escalation
Security analysts view the Taliban’s bold claims and sharp rhetoric as a dangerous new phase in the deteriorating relationship between Kabul and Islamabad.
“The gloves are off,” said Ayesha Siddiqa, a senior fellow at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. “For the Taliban to publicly announce such detailed military casualties on the Pakistani side is unprecedented. It signals a complete breakdown of back-channel communications and a willingness to engage in direct, public confrontation.”
The border region has been a flashpoint for months, with Pakistan accusing the Taliban of harboring the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Pakistani Taliban, which launches attacks against Pakistani security forces. The Afghan Taliban, in turn, has grown increasingly angered by cross-border artillery fire and airstrikes it says violate its sovereignty.
“The risk of a wider, unintended confrontation is now higher than it has been in years,” Siddiqa added. “Both sides are digging in, and the public nature of these accusations makes de-escalation more politically difficult.”
As of Sunday evening, the silence from Islamabad was deafening. All eyes are now on the Pakistani military and government to see if they will confirm, deny, or retaliate for what the Taliban describes as a punishing night of combat along their shared, volatile frontier.
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