Pakistan has claimed that more than 400 Afghan military personnel have been killed in escalating border clashes between the two countries, marking one of the deadliest flare-ups along the disputed frontier in recent years.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the death toll among Afghan forces has risen to 415, with more than 580 others injured. In a post on social media platform X, Tarar updated earlier figures that had put Afghan casualties at 352 dead and 500 wounded.
According to Pakistani authorities, the fighting resulted in the destruction of 182 Afghan checkpoints and the seizure of 31 others. Officials also said more than 185 pieces of military equipment, including tanks, were destroyed during the clashes. The Pakistani Air Force reportedly carried out strikes on 46 targets inside Afghan territory.
The surge in violence follows Afghanistan’s announcement on February 26 that it had launched a military operation against Pakistani forces along the Durand Line, the contested border between the two countries that Kabul does not formally recognize.
Afghan officials said the operation was launched in response to Pakistani airstrikes carried out inside Afghan territory. Islamabad confirmed it returned fire and later declared that it had entered what it described as an “open war” with Afghanistan.
The intensifying Pakistan-Afghanistan border conflict has raised concerns about broader regional instability, particularly given the long-standing disputes over the Durand Line and recurring cross-border security incidents.
Independent verification of casualty figures from either side remains limited, and there has been no immediate confirmation from Afghan authorities regarding the updated death toll cited by Pakistan.
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