Deadly confrontations erupted late Saturday night along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, with both sides reporting dozens of casualties. Taliban officials said their forces launched attacks in response to air strikes carried out by the Pakistani army on Kabul days earlier.

While Islamabad has not officially claimed responsibility for those strikes, it has reiterated its right to target what it describes as militant threats originating from Afghan territory.

This latest violence marks a significant escalation in already tense relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan since the Taliban's return to power in 2021.

Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and around 30 were wounded in the clashes, while nine Taliban fighters lost their lives.

In contrast, the Pakistani military reported the deaths of 23 soldiers and claimed that more than 200 Taliban and affiliated fighters were killed during the fighting. AFP noted it was unable to independently verify the figures.

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Sunday that “the situation is under control” and that the operation had “achieved its objectives.” He also noted that calls from Qatar and Saudi Arabia contributed to a halt in the fighting.

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Pakistan condemns “provocations” by Afghan authorities

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned what he called provocations by the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan.

“There will be no compromise on Pakistan’s defence, and every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response,” Sharif said in a statement. He accused Kabul’s authorities of allowing “terrorist elements” to operate freely across the border.

The Taliban military had announced heavy clashes with Pakistani security forces across several regions on Saturday night. However, border officials reported a relative calm on Sunday, with no further incidents at key crossings such as Torkham.

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Pakistan captures border crossing points

Pakistan's Geo broadcaster, citing security sources, states that the Pakistani army successfully captured 19 Afghan border crossing points following the clashes. 

The media outlet claims that Afghanistan's Taliban forces used these crossing points to launch attacks into Pakistani territory, adding that Pakistan sent drones to carry out attacks on the Bahramcha border district in the province of Helmand, and Spin Buldak in Kandahar province, where military and civilian sites were attacked.

The Pakistani army also launched a barrage of mortar fire at Helmand province alongside the drone, which resulted in the death of two civilians and the injury of one other, according to military sources.

TTP at the heart of renewed tensions

Violence along the border has surged amid Pakistan’s growing frustration over the presence of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group closely aligned with the Afghan Taliban.

Since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, attacks by the TTP have intensified, particularly in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistani officials say the group has conducted a deadly campaign against the security forces this year, making it one of the bloodiest periods in over a decade.

A UN report earlier this year stated that the TTP receives “substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities” in Afghanistan.

Between January and mid-September, more than 500 people were killed in attacks across Pakistan, including over 300 troops and 70 police officers, according to a military spokesperson.

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Diplomatic concerns and regional dynamics

The recent violence unfolded while Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi visited India, a development seen by some analysts as aggravating Islamabad.

Afghan international relations expert Wahid Faqiri suggested that warming ties between Kabul and New Delhi may have “angered Pakistan and pushed Islamabad towards aggression.”

Despite the latest flare-up, analysts emphasize the need for a diplomatic path forward.

“Violence in the border region has plunged relations between the neighbors to an all-time low,” said former Pakistani diplomat Maleeha Lodhi. “But there will have to be a return to diplomacy to find a resolution to the confrontation.”

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told parliament last week that repeated efforts to persuade the Taliban to rein in the TTP have failed.

“Enough is enough,” he said. “The Pakistani government and army’s patience has run out.”