Fifteen Pakistani soldiers were killed in a retaliatory operation by Afghan forces in Helmand province on Saturday night, according to reports from Kabul. Maulvi Mohammad Qasim Riaz, spokesperson for the Helmand provincial government, stated that Afghan troops conducted the operation near the Durand Line in the Bahramcha district. During the attack, Afghan forces captured three Pakistani security posts and seized a significant amount of weapons and ammunition.

The Afghan military launched attacks on Pakistani posts across several provinces, including Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, and Kunar. This escalation followed recent air strikes by Pakistan in Kabul and Paktika. The operations reportedly concluded at midnight.

Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of conducting air strikes in Kabul and a market in eastern Afghanistan, although Pakistan did not claim responsibility for these attacks. The violence reportedly began when Taliban forces opened fire on multiple Pakistani border posts late Saturday. Key posts targeted included Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Baramcha in Balochistan.

Pakistani security sources indicated that the firing was intended to facilitate the illegal entry of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) into Pakistan. In response, Pakistani forces reportedly targeted and destroyed several Afghan posts, resulting in casualties among Afghan soldiers and TTP members.

Pakistani Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi described the Afghan attacks as "unprovoked" and stated that Pakistani forces would respond decisively. He emphasized that firing on civilians is a violation of international laws and assured that no provocation would be tolerated.

The Taliban claimed their operations were in retaliation for the Pakistani air strikes. Taliban defense ministry spokesman Enayat Khowarazm stated that their forces are prepared to defend Afghanistan's territory against any future violations. Meanwhile, Pakistan has urged Afghanistan to stop harboring the TTP, which has been accused of numerous attacks against Pakistani soldiers since 2021.

This surge in tensions coincides with a visit by Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, to India, marking the first high-level trip from Kabul since the Taliban took control in August 2021.