August M
Conflicting battlefield accounts have emerged after a surge in cross-border violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Each side is reporting heavy losses, underscoring how rapidly the confrontation has intensified.
Casualty claims disputed
According to the Associated Press, Afghan and Pakistani officials released sharply different figures following overnight fighting that included airstrikes and border exchanges.
Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and that “several others were captured alive.” It also reported eight Afghan soldiers killed and 11 wounded, adding that multiple Pakistani posts and bases were destroyed.
Pakistani officials rejected those claims. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three wounded. Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said 133 Afghan fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded, while denying any Pakistani troops had been taken captive. The claims from both sides could not be independently verified, AP reported.
‘Open war’ declared
Amid the competing narratives, Pakistan’s defense minister said the conflict had reached a breaking point.
AP reported that Khawaja Mohammad Asif wrote on X that Islamabad’s “patience” had run out after what it described as Afghan cross-border attacks.
“Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us,” he said.
Asif accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of turning the country “into a colony of India” and “exporting terrorism.” There was no immediate public response from Kabul to those remarks.
Ceasefire unraveling
The escalation follows a fragile truce brokered months ago with mediation from Qatar and Turkey, according to AP.
Pakistani officials said recent airstrikes targeted sites in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia province in response to cross-border assaults. Afghan officials acknowledged strikes but framed the clashes as aggression from Islamabad.
The renewed hostilities suggest that diplomatic efforts to stabilize the border have broken down, raising concerns about a prolonged confrontation between the neighbors.
Refugees affected
The violence has also disrupted civilian movement near key crossings.
Pakistani authorities said dozens of Afghan refugees waiting near the Torkham border were relocated to safer areas after fighting erupted.
AP noted that Pakistan has been expelling undocumented migrants since October 2023, a campaign that has driven millions back into Afghanistan. The U.N. refugee agency says 2.9 million people returned last year, with nearly 80,000 more so far this year.
Sources: Associated Press
