Seven Pakistani Soldiers Reportedly Killed in Clashes Along Afghanistan Border

DID Press: At least seven Pakistani soldiers have reportedly been killed in armed clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces along the Durand Line, although the reported death toll has not been independently verified.

According to published reports, the clashes occurred around midday in Dand Patan district of Afghanistan’s Paktia province, near the Kharlaachi border crossing and the Topser and Kunj Ali areas. The fighting reportedly forced some residents of nearby villages to flee their homes.

Security sources affiliated with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said Afghan forces responded to Pakistani gunfire. They also alleged that Pakistan had been constructing border outposts without authorization and claimed that Pakistani forces suffered casualties during the clashes.

Pakistani officials, meanwhile, said Afghan border forces had opened fire on Pakistani posts in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, prompting a retaliatory response from Pakistani forces.

Details about how the clashes began, the number of casualties and the claims made by both sides have not been independently confirmed.

The latest incident follows reports of exchanges of fire between Pakistani forces and fighters affiliated with the Afghan Taliban at several points along Pakistan’s northwestern border, including the Kurram region.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have remained tense amid disagreements over border security, the activities of armed groups, cross-border attacks and the construction of military installations in border areas. However, the full circumstances of the latest clashes and responsibility for initiating the fighting remain unclear.