Taliban, Pakistan trade claims of heavy losses in border clashes

Pakistan and Afghanistan traded accusations on Sunday after some of the worst cross-border fighting in years reportedly left dozens dead on both sides, with Islamabad vowing to “make no compromises” on national sovereignty.

Pakistan closed border crossings after forces exchanged heavy fire overnight. The border crossings at Torkham, in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Chaman, in the southwest province of Balochistan, were closed, a security official said.

Pakistan’s civil and military leaders said 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 29 injured in the border clashes.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned what they called Afghanistan’s “provocations” and praised the military for its response.

“We will not compromise on Pakistan’s defense,” Sharif said in a statement released by his office. “Pakistan expects the Afghan interim government to ensure that its soil is not used by terrorist elements against Pakistan.”

Zardari said “no compromise will ever be made on Pakistan’s national sovereignty.”

The ISPR, the military’s media wing, said Pakistan acted in self-defense after Afghan Taliban fighters and “Indian-sponsored terrorists” launched an unprovoked attack along the border on Saturday evening.

The attack was repelled “decisively all along the border” and more than 200 Taliban fighters and affiliated militants were killed. Taliban camps, training facilities and support networks were targeted with precision strikes, the ISPR said.

In Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghan forces had killed 58 Pakistani soldiers, seized more than 20 military posts and lost nine Afghan soldiers in the clashes.

He said the fighting, which the Taliban said erupted after Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul and Paktika province on Thursday evening, was halted at the request of Qatar and that Taliban forces were now in a defensive position.

Mujahid accused Islamabad of harboring Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) cells that had carried out attacks in Afghanistan and called on Pakistan to hand over or expel senior ISKP leaders, including Shahab al-Muhajir. He also rejected Pakistan’s claims that the Taliban are harboring Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters, insisting that no militants are allowed to operate in Afghanistan.

The Taliban spokesperson warned that Afghanistan would respond to any further aggression and reserved the right to defend its sovereignty.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran urged both sides to exercise restraint.

Both sides’ claims could not be independently verified.