Pakistan border post targeted in retaliatory attack in Afghanistan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — A Pakistani border post near Afghanistan’s southern Spin Boldak district was targeted and allegedly destroyed in a retaliatory attack on Thursday, Afghan Taliban officials said, following Pakistani airstrikes in several Afghan provinces that have further strained relations between the two neighbors.

The Taliban’s 205 Al-Badr Corps said its forces attacked a Pakistani military position near the border after Pakistani troops shelled the Cargo area of Spin Boldak throughout Wednesday.

Nazir Ahmad Shakib, a spokesperson for the corps, said the border post was destroyed and that Pakistani forces suffered “heavy casualties.”

The claim could not be independently verified. Pakistani authorities did not immediately confirm the reported destruction of the post or provide details of any casualties.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense separately said Afghan forces had targeted and destroyed a Pakistani military post near Spin Boldak after coming under fire from Pakistani forces.

Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarazmi said on X that Afghan forces suffered no casualties or material damage in the confrontation. He also rejected statements attributed to Pakistan about the incident, calling them “propaganda.”

The reported border clash followed Pakistani airstrikes early Thursday in Kandahar, Khost and Paktia provinces. Taliban officials said four civilians were killed in the strikes and accused Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty. The reported casualties have not been independently verified.

Pakistan has said its air operations target hideouts belonging to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated militant groups, which Islamabad accuses of using Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks against Pakistan.

The Taliban administration denies allowing Afghan territory to be used for attacks against other countries and has repeatedly condemned Pakistani military operations inside Afghanistan.

The latest strikes came days after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Paktika provinces. Taliban officials said three people were killed and four wounded in those attacks. Pakistan has described its military operations as efforts to counter threats from militants operating across the border.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated sharply amid persistent disputes over militant activity, border security and attacks involving drones and artillery.

Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Taliban authorities to prevent the TTP from operating from Afghan territory, while Kabul has rejected Islamabad’s accusations and called for disputes to be resolved through diplomatic channels.

The two countries have also experienced repeated clashes along the Durand Line, the de facto border established during British colonial rule and rejected as a permanent international frontier by successive Afghan governments.

The latest confrontation adds to a pattern of escalating military incidents along the frontier since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Analysts and regional officials have warned that continued exchanges of fire and cross-border air operations could further destabilize the border region and disrupt movement and trade through major crossings.

There was no immediate independent confirmation of the extent of damage at the reported Pakistani position, and the competing accounts from the two sides could not be reconciled.

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