The Afghan Taliban launched attacks on “several points” across the border with Pakistan, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday. The strikes appear to be in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes earlier this week, which Afghan authorities claim killed 46 civilians, including women and children, near the border.
The Ministry of Defense stated that the attacks targeted locations “beyond the ‘hypothetical line,’” previously referred to as Durand Line—a border established in 1893 during the reign of Afghan ruler Abdur Rahman Khan. The line was agreed upon with British India. “Several points beyond the hypothetical line, serving as centers and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organized and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan, were targeted in retaliation from the southeastern direction of the country,” the ministry’s statement read.
While the statement avoided directly naming Pakistan, Ministry of Defense spokesperson Enayatullah Khowarazmi said, “We do not consider it to be the territory of Pakistan; therefore, we cannot confirm the territory, but it was on the other side of the hypothetical line.”
The attacks reportedly involved heavy weaponry, but details about specific areas or casualties were not provided. However, a security source told the AFP news agency that at least one Pakistani paramilitary soldier was killed, and seven others were injured in cross-border exchanges of fire. Sporadic clashes, including the use of heavy weapons, were reported overnight between forces near the border of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Afghanistan’s Khost province.
The strikes come amid a volatile week of cross-border tensions. Islamabad has claimed its airstrikes targeted militant hideouts linked to attacks within Pakistan. In contrast, the Afghan Taliban accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty and causing significant civilian casualties, prompting vows of retaliation.
Pakistani officials have not yet commented on the latest Taliban attacks but have previously called on Afghanistan to prevent militant groups from using its territory to launch attacks on Pakistan.
As tensions rise, the situation along the border remains volatile, with fears of further retaliation on both sides threatening to deepen the conflict.
