In a major escalation of hostilities, Pakistani security forces have launched massive strikes against Afghan Taliban checkposts along the Durand Line, resulting in significant casualties on both sides, CNN-News18 has learnt. According to high-level security sources, at least 17 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed during the targeted operations. The confrontation also took a heavy toll on Pakistani forces, with three soldiers confirmed dead and multiple others sustained injuries during the intense cross-firing that has since spread across the region.
The Landi Kotal sector has emerged as the epicentre of this latest flare-up, where a massive exchange of heavy weaponry erupted earlier today. This surge in violence follows a series of Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, triggering retaliatory fire from Afghan Taliban fighters across the Tirah, Torkham, and Waziristan sectors. What began as a response to a “blatant violation of sovereignty," as termed by Kabul, has now devolved into a critical flashpoint that threatens to destabilise the entire border region.
Islamabad has maintained a firm stance, asserting its right to self-defence following a sharp increase in terror attacks originating from Afghan soil. Pakistani officials stated that these “intelligence-based, selective operations" were specifically designed to neutralise seven camps belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP). These strikes were reportedly a direct retaliation for a devastating suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad earlier this month, which claimed over 30 lives. While Pakistan continues to accuse the Taliban-led administration of providing safe havens to TTP leadership, Kabul continues to issue staunch denials.
The humanitarian and diplomatic fallout of these strikes has been profound. Afghan authorities reported that at least 18 individuals, including women and children, were killed when previous strikes hit residential areas and a religious seminary in the Behsud district of Nangarhar. The Taliban’s Ministry of Defence has condemned the ongoing actions as a breach of international law, warning of a “calculated and appropriate response".
With ground forces on both sides now on high alert, the situation remains highly volatile. Pakistan has reinforced its positions to target infiltration attempts and prevent militants from crossing into its territory, but the failure of previous ceasefire agreements—including the Qatar-brokered truce of late 2025—suggests a grim outlook. As the historical dispute over the Durand Line’s legitimacy looms large, the region faces the prospect of a sustained cross-border conflict that could have far-reaching implications for South Asian stability.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
