Kabul: Afghan security forces launched heavy retaliatory strikes against Pakistani military positions following a series of cross-border drone attacks in Afghanistan’s eastern border region, Kabul’s Ministry of Defence announced in an official statement on Wednesday.
According to the Afghan defence ministry, the Pakistani armed forces conducted four separate drone strikes on Tuesday, targeting a border commissariat and adjacent security installations situated in the strategic border province of Paktika. The strikes inflicted physical damage on local facilities, triggering an immediate military response from nearby Afghan security units, Xinhua News Agency reported.
In retaliation, Afghan defence and security personnel deployed along the frontier launched targeted artillery and heavy weapons strikes against a major Pakistani military base in the immediate vicinity, alongside several surrounding border outposts.
The Afghan Ministry of Defence claimed that its counter-operations inflicted substantial casualties among Pakistani military personnel and caused significant structural damage to Pakistan’s border defence infrastructure.
Official sources in Kabul confirmed that no casualties or injuries were sustained among Afghan defence forces during the exchange.
The cross-border exchange marks a significant escalation in ongoing border friction between the two neighbouring nations.
Tensions along the long, porous Afghanistan-Pakistan border have remained high since armed clashes initially erupted in February, leading to repeated standoffs, sporadic skirmishes, and increased military buildups by both sides along the Durand Line.
While the Afghan defence ministry reiterated its readiness to defend its territorial integrity against cross-border aggression, Pakistani authorities have yet to issue an official response regarding the casualties and damage reported by Kabul.
(IANS)
