Afghan Taliban Says 58 Pakistani Soldiers Killed, 30 Injured In Retaliatory Strikes Across Disputed Durand Line

The Taliban on Sunday (12 October) accused Pakistan of sheltering ISIS terrorists and claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani troops and wounded 30 in retaliatory strikes along the border after Pakistan’s recent airstrikes on Kabul, India Today reported.

In a press briefing, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid asked Pakistan to hand over or expel ISIS terrorists hiding in its territory, calling the group a threat to global security.

"Pakistan should expel the important ISIS members who are hiding there from its soil or hand them over to the Islamic Emirate...The ISIS group poses a threat to many countries of the world, including Afghanistan," Mujahid said.

Mujahid stated that Afghanistan reserved the right to defend its air and land borders but said operations along the Durand Line were paused at the request of Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Mujahid added that during the retaliatory operations carried out across the disputed Durand Line, several weapons were also seized temporarily.

According to Mujahid, “Nine Afghan soldiers were also martyred and 16 others wounded, while 20 Pakistani security outposts were destroyed," Tolo News reported.

The Taliban alleged that while it acted swiftly to eliminate ISIS presence in Afghanistan, Pakistan created new training hubs for the group in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

"Recruits were brought to these centres for training via Karachi and Islamabad airports," Mujahid claimed.

After Pakistan’s airstrikes in Kabul and Paktika, Afghan forces launched retaliatory attacks across border provinces in Pakistan.

Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry confirmed the strikes, calling them “retaliatory and successful operations” in response to Pakistan’s air raids.

“If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan's territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nation's borders and will deliver a strong response,” the Afghan Defence Ministry said.

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