Afghanistan says it has killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations

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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan said Sunday it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations, in response to what it called repeated violations of its territory and airspace. Pakistan’s army gave far lower casualty figures, saying 23 troops were killed.

Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital, Kabul, and a market in the country’s east. Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the assault.

The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Afghan forces have captured 25 Pakistani army posts, leaving 30 Pakistani soldiers wounded.

“The situation on all official borders and de facto lines of Afghanistan is under complete control, and illegal activities have been largely prevented,” Mujahid told a news conference in Kabul.

Pakistan has previously struck locations inside Afghanistan, targeting what it alleges are militant hideouts, but these have been in remote and mountainous areas. The two sides have also skirmished along the border in the past. Saturday night's heavy clashes underscore the deepening tensions.

The Taliban government’s Defense Ministry said early Sunday morning its forces had conducted “retaliatory and successful operations” along the border.

“If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nation’s borders and will deliver a strong response,” the ministry added.

The Torkham crossing, one of two main trade routes between the two countries, did not open on Sunday at its usual time of 8 a.m.

The crossing at Chaman, southwest Pakistan, was also closed. People, including Afghan refugees leaving Pakistan, were turned away due to the worsening security situation.

An Associated Press reporter in Chaman heard jets over Spin Boldak, a city in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, and saw smoke rising after an explosion.

Pakistan accuses Afghan authorities of harboring members of the banned group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Islamabad says the group carries out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, but Kabul denies the charge, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries.

Pakistan is grappling with surging militancy, especially in areas bordering Afghanistan. It also accuses its nuclear-armed neighbor and rival India of backing armed groups, without providing any evidence.

The overnight border clashes could fuel regional instability, as India and Pakistan came close to war earlier this year after a tourist massacre in the disputed region of Kashmir.

India has also boosted its relations with Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, most recently announcing an upgrade of its technical mission in Kabul to a full embassy.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry called for “restraint, avoidance of escalation and the adoption of dialogue and wisdom to help de-escalate tensions and maintain the security and stability of the region.” Saudi Arabia just reached a mutual defense pact with Pakistan. Qatar also urged restraint.

The Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is in India on an official visit, told journalists that Afghanistan respected the calls made by the two Gulf powers to stop what he called “retaliatory strikes” against Pakistan. But he also warned that Kabul reserved the right to protect itself.

“We want a peaceful resolution of the situation, but if the peace efforts don’t succeed, we have other options,” Muttaqi said.

Before the Afghan claim of casualties, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault and said the country's army “not only gave a befitting reply to Afghanistan’s provocations but also destroyed several of their posts, forcing them to retreat.”

Pakistani security officials shared videos purporting to show destroyed Afghan checkpoints, but the footage could not be independently verified because the media does not have access to these areas.

The Pakistani army said more than 200 “Taliban and affiliated terrorists have been neutralized, while the number of injured is much higher."

According to Pakistani security officials, Afghan forces opened fire in several northwestern border areas in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

One official in Islamabad told The Associated Press that Pakistan had taken control of 19 Afghan border posts from where attacks were being launched. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

“The Taliban personnel at these posts have either been killed or fled. Fires and visible destruction have been observed at the captured Afghan posts,” the official added.

The two countries share a 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border known as the Durand Line, but Afghanistan has never recognized it.

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Associated Press writers Sajjad Tarakzai in Islamabad, Abdul Qahar Afghan in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Jon Gambrell in Cairo, and Rajesh Roy in New Delhi contributed to this report.