Kabul sources claim 55 Pakistani soldiers killed in cross-border clashes involving drones and artillery, with mediation by Qatar and Saudi Arabia ending hostilities.
Kabul sources claim 55 Pakistani soldiers killed in cross-border clashes [Photo: X]
New Delhi: Official sources based in Kabul have told this newspaper that at least 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the latest round of cross-border hostilities between Afghan and Pakistani forces, in what they described as a confrontation involving drones, artillery and retaliatory strikes inside Pakistani territory.
"As per our confirmation , 55 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and many have been injured,” official source based in Kabul said. He further claimed that “19 Pakistan army post have been shut downe” following the strikes by Afghan forces.
Afghan officials also acknowledged losses on their side while stating that “8 soldiers have been shahid (martyr) while have been 11 injured".
According to the officials, the clashes were not confined to immediate border outposts but extended deeper into Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“There is an army headquarters between Badaber and Matno which was targeted” the source said while referring to areas located on the outskirts of Peshawar. Videos of the showing the said headquarters burning was also shared with this newspaper
Badaber lies on the southern edge of Peshawar city, while Matni is further to the south-east of the provincial capital. Both locations are well inside Pakistani territory and not directly on the Afghan border. The nearest formal crossing point between the two countries is Torkham in Khyber district. From Torkham to the Peshawar region is roughly a 50-kilometre stretch through the Khyber Pass corridor, and Badaber and Matni lie beyond that axis.
If confirmed, the claim that Afghan forces struck targets in the Badaber-Matni belt would suggest operations extending significantly beyond the immediate frontier zone.
“Yes, we have hit target deep inside Pakistan,” the source said when asked whether Afghan forces had carried out retaliatory action across the border.
Officials said that drones and artillery were used during the confrontation. When asked whether suicide bombers had been deployed, they responded: “No, until now no such thing happened.”
As per Kabul based officials, civilians were affected on the Afghan side. “13 people, including women and children, were injured in an airstrike by the Pakistan military regime on a temporary camp for returnees in Torkham,” the official said, referring to the key border crossing that has in recent months seen large flows of returnees amid deportation drives and tightening border controls.
Torkham has historically been one of the most sensitive flashpoints along the Durand Line, the contested frontier dividing Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The conflict, as per officials, has stopped.
On the question of mediation, the source rejected suggestions that Iran had played a role and instead stated that it was Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia who mediated.
Qatar has in recent years maintained channels of communication with the Afghan authorities and has hosted diplomatic engagements involving regional stakeholders. Saudi Arabia, which historically had ties with Afghan factions, has also maintained diplomatic engagement in varying forms.
The reported use of drones marks a significant dimension of the confrontation. If Afghan forces did deploy drones beyond the immediate border zone, it would signal both operational capability and willingness to escalate beyond traditional artillery duels that typically characterise frontier skirmishes.
The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan has remained volatile since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghan territory of being used by anti-Pakistan militant groups, while Kabul has rejected such allegations and counter-accused Pakistan of airspace violations and cross-border strikes.
