Afghan Defense Ministry claims retaliatory strikes on Pakistani forces along Durand Line

The Ministry of National Defense of Afghanistan said Thursday that Afghan forces carried out a series of retaliatory operations against Pakistani military positions following incursions by Pakistani forces across the disputed Durand Line.

In a statement, the ministry said the operations took place over the past day and night along the Durand Line and across several eastern and southern provinces, including Kandahar, Nangarhar, Kunar, Nuristan, Khost, Paktia, and Paktika. According to the statement, forces of the Islamic Emirate launched coordinated attacks targeting what officials described as enemy positions and military infrastructure.

The ministry also said Afghan air units conducted an airstrike at around 8 a.m. in the Kachlagh area of Balochistan province in Pakistan, targeting a command center belonging to the Frontier Corps, which it identified as the “Ghazaband” general command facility.

Officials claimed the strike hit the command office and soldiers’ barracks, resulting in dozens of Frontier Corps personnel being killed or wounded and causing significant structural damage. Independent confirmation of the casualties has not been immediately available.

According to the statement, Afghan forces also destroyed 12 Pakistani military posts and bases during the retaliatory operations over the past 24 hours. The ministry said the clashes resulted in 41 Pakistani soldiers killed and 53 others wounded.

The ministry added that Afghan air defenses shot down three Pakistani reconnaissance drones during the confrontations.

Afghan officials acknowledged that three members of the Islamic Emirate’s forces were killed and seven others injured during the fighting.

The reported strikes come amid rising tensions along the Durand Line, the disputed frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where clashes between the two sides have intensified in recent days.