Pakistani forces kill Afghan Taliban fighters in Gulistan border clash
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Pakistani security forces killed several Afghan Taliban fighters in an exchange of fire in the Gulistan area of the Pakistan-Afghan border on Friday. The clash followed Pakistani air strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan on Thursday, which Islamabad said targeted terrorist hideouts. No official confirmation has been issued by either government.
Key Facts
- Pakistani security forces killed several Afghan Taliban fighters in an intermittent exchange of fire in the Gulistan area on Friday.
- Pakistan carried out aerial and drone attacks on 10 locations in Afghanistan on Thursday, targeting what Information Minister Attaullah Tarar called terrorist hideouts and drone infrastructure.
- Afghanistan's government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the air strikes targeted Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces.
- The Afghan government said on Thursday it would deliver an appropriate response to the Pakistani air attacks.
- China, Turkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are involved in mediation efforts to broker lasting peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Border Clash
Pakistani security forces reported foiling an attempted Afghan aggression on the Pakistan-Afghan border on Friday. Several Afghan Taliban fighters were killed in an intermittent exchange of fire in the Gulistan area, according to Pakistani security sources. Fighting was ongoing at the time of the report, with no official confirmation from either country.
Pakistani Air Strikes
Pakistan's aerial and drone attacks on Thursday hit 10 locations in Afghanistan, targeting terrorist hideouts and support infrastructure including drone launching and storage sites. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes were in response to a deliberate and unlawful incursion into Pakistan by drones on Wednesday. Afghanistan's government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the air strikes targeted Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces. Taliban officials denied that their government launched drones against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Regional Mediation
The escalation threatens mediation efforts by China, Turkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to broker a lasting peace between the two neighbours. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring fighters who stage cross-border attacks, while Afghanistan's government denies harbouring anti-Pakistani armed groups. The air raids on Thursday were carried out amid growing tensions over attacks by armed groups in Pakistan, which triggered their worst fighting in years in February.
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