Afghan forces seize key Pakistani posts along border: Officials

Kabul: Afghan forces have carried out retaliatory strikes on Pakistani military bases following recent air raids by the Pakistan Air Force inside Afghanistan, as fighting along the volatile Durand Line entered its fifth consecutive day.

The Afghan defence ministry said its forces targeted several key military locations near the 2,600-km Pakistan-Afghanistan border, including areas linked to Kabul, the Ali-Sher district in Khost, Jalalabad and Kandahar.

The escalation marks the latest surge in tensions along the Durand Line, where hostilities have intensified since Pakistan’s February 21-22 strikes on what it described as terror camps.

According to Afghan officials, their forces have captured multiple Pakistani military posts in Kandahar province, specifically in the Spin Boldak and Shorabak districts.

Three posts were reportedly seized in Spin Boldak, resulting in the deaths of three Pakistani soldiers and the capture of one serviceman. In addition, two Pakistani posts were taken over in the Ali-Sher district, Afghanistan-based TOLOnews reported.

Over the past four days, both the Pakistani and Afghan militaries have engaged in cross-border targeting of each other’s positions. Although the clashes are described as the heaviest in years, officials indicated that the intensity has somewhat subsided compared to the initial phase of the confrontation.

The current round of hostilities began last month when Taliban-led Afghan forces launched retaliatory operations against Pakistani military installations, following Pakistan’s actions targeting militants inside Afghan territory.

On Monday, the Afghan defence ministry announced that its forces had destroyed a Pakistani armoured tank in Paktika province after it allegedly fired shells indiscriminately toward Afghan territory.

Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khowarazmi said Afghan troops have killed more than 100 Pakistani personnel and captured over 25 military posts so far, according to Reuters.

Afghan police also stated that Pakistani fighter jets attempted to bomb Bagram air base near Kabul but were thwarted by Afghan air defence systems.

No casualties or damage were reported in that incident. Bagram previously served as the largest US military base in Afghanistan during the two-decade-long conflict in the country.

The ongoing confrontation underscores the deepening instability along the Durand Line, with both sides accusing each other of aggression as military engagements continue across the shared border.

IANS