Pakistan, Afghan Taliban suffer heavy losses in deadly clashes

Pakistan loses at least 23 soliders, its military claims killing 200 Afghan fighters

- AGENCIES

Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy fire along their shared border over the weekend, in one of the most serious flareups between the two neighbours in recent months. The escalation followed Pakistan's alleged airstrikes on Kabul a few days ago, which Afghanistan said violated its sovereignty.

The Pakistani military reported that 23 of its soldiers were killed and 29 injured in the clashes, while claiming that more than 200 members of the Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants were neutralised in retaliatory operations. The army said its forces had seized 19 Afghan military posts and “terrorist hideouts” in response to what it described as “unprovoked attacks” by Afghan forces along the border, targeting multiple locations from Angoor Adda to Chitral and Baramcha.

A Taliban spokesperson confirmed that Afghan forces had carried out retaliatory operations, claiming to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers and wounded 30 others, while capturing several Pakistani border posts and destroying 20 security outposts.