Kabul, April 6 – The Taliban claimed on Monday that they had captured a Pakistani border post in eastern Afghanistan after a clash with soldiers from the neighboring country, local media reported.
Local officials confirmed the exchange of fire between Taliban forces and Pakistani soldiers in a border area, according to Amu TV, citing the Taliban-run national broadcaster, RTA. They said that an outpost was captured during the clashes, and casualties were reported on the Pakistani side.
The incident comes amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan as cross-border clashes between the two sides entered their sixth week. The fighting has involved drone strikes, air raids, and artillery exchanges.
The latest clashes have been reported while talks continue between Pakistan and Afghanistan in China to de-escalate tensions. Delegations from the Taliban and Pakistan have been holding dialogue in Urumqi, China, since last week.
On Sunday, Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that his delegation was participating in the dialogue "with sincerity and a solution-oriented approach," stressing that the Taliban wanted to resolve disputes through talks. However, he emphasized Afghanistan's right to defend its territorial integrity.
Last week, local residents accused Pakistani soldiers of targeting civilian houses in the Tani district of Khost, Afghanistan, as fighting continued along the country's border with Pakistan.
According to sources, many local residents have started leaving their homes to escape the violence, and casualties were also reported from the region, Khaama Press, Afghanistan's leading news agency, reported. However, no verified deaths or injuries have been confirmed so far. Meanwhile, clashes were also reported in the Gurbuz district of Khost, Khaama Press reported.
On March 31, participants at a "Pakistan-Afghanistan Peace Jirga" organized in Peshawar, urged the governments of both countries to stop the border clashes and resolve their differences through dialogue.
The jirga, organized under the auspices of Aspire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the National Reform Movement (Qaumi Islahi Tehreek), was attended by various political, religious leaders, representatives of the business community, and media, Dawn, Pakistan's leading daily, reported. They urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to use diplomatic channels to resolve their differences, as both nations share common religious and cultural heritage, traditions, and social values.
They said that the ongoing conflict was a matter of concern for the people of both nations and stressed that the current tense situation would lead to dire consequences for the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan. After the discussion at the jirga, the participants issued a joint declaration and urged both nations to immediately declare and implement a ceasefire to de-escalate tensions.