Afghanistan announced that its forces killed 58 Pakistani soldiers during overnight border clashes.
Officials said the attacks came after repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace by Pakistan.
The Taliban government accused Pakistan of bombing Kabul and an eastern market earlier in the week.
Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the airstrikes.
Afghan spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said troops captured 25 Pakistani army posts and wounded 30 soldiers.
“The borders of Afghanistan are fully secure, and illegal activities have been largely stopped,” Mujahid told reporters in Kabul.
The Taliban Defence Ministry said its forces carried out “retaliatory and successful operations” along the frontier.
It warned that any further violation of Afghan sovereignty would bring a “strong and decisive response.”
Rising Tensions Along the Border
Pakistan has previously attacked targets inside Afghanistan, claiming to strike militant hideouts in remote regions.
Both countries have clashed repeatedly along their rugged border over the years.
The Taliban government accused Pakistan of undermining peace and violating international norms through recent attacks.
Afghanistan insists its forces will defend national sovereignty against any military incursions.
Meanwhile, Pakistan blamed Kabul for sheltering members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Islamabad said the group continues to launch deadly attacks inside Pakistan.
Afghan officials rejected the accusation, saying they do not allow militant groups to operate from their soil.
The latest violence threatens to worsen already fragile relations between the two neighbours.
Pakistan Responds and Regional Risks Grow
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Afghan strikes and praised his military’s counterattack.
He said the army “destroyed several Afghan posts and forced their troops to retreat.”
Pakistan’s military claimed it killed over 200 Taliban fighters and wounded many more in the clashes.
Officials also released videos showing damaged Afghan checkpoints, though independent verification remains impossible.
Pakistani security sources said Afghan troops opened fire across several areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The ongoing escalation adds to regional instability, as India and Pakistan already face heightened tensions over Kashmir.
Analysts warn that renewed border violence could destabilize the region further if diplomacy fails to intervene.
