Fierce fighting along the border has reignited tensions between the two countries following a Pakistani raid on Kabul against the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Islamabad claims 200 Taliban fighters were killed, while Kabul reports 58 Pakistani soldiers killed. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are trying to broker a truce. In Pakistan, the Islamist Tehrik-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) movement has resumed protests, sparking clashes in Islamabad and Lahore amid growing tensions.

Islamabad/Kabul (AsiaNews) – Pakistan has asked Afghanistan to re-engage diplomatically following violent clashes between the two countries on Saturday and Sunday, resulting in the deaths of scores of soldiers on both sides.

The violence broke out after Pakistan struck targets in Kabul and Paktika, aimed at eliminating the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan, TTP), specifically the group's leader, Noor Wali Mehsud. His death has not yet been confirmed.

The clashes, which began overnight on Saturday, affected several border areas, including the Afghan provinces of Paktika and Helmand and the districts of Kunar and Kurram on the Pakistani side. According to Islamabad, the Taliban attacked several Pakistani border posts.

In a statement yesterday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry reiterated the need to maintain dialogue with the Taliban regime, despite the military escalation.

“Pakistan greatly values dialogue and diplomacy and a mutually beneficial relationship with Afghanistan,” reads a statement from the ministry.

“At the same time, the Government of Pakistan continues to closely monitor the situation and would take all possible measures to safeguard its territory and the lives of its people”.

For Islamabad, “The fight against terrorism is a common cause.”

The Pakistani army reported 23 deaths and 29 wounded among its soldiers, as well as “200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists have been neutralized".

It also claimed to have temporarily seized 21 Taliban-controlled border posts before withdrawing.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that his country carried out a "retaliatory” operation following Pakistani strikes, claiming to have captured several positions and killed 58 Pakistani soldiers, while nine Afghan soldiers were killed.

"We acted on precise information in response to aggression," said Mujahid, who accused the Pakistani army of fuelling the conflict between the two countries.

The recent attack on Kabul took place while a Taliban delegation led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was visiting India, further exacerbating tensions. Pakistani officials often refer to the TTP as an India-backed terrorist group.

Afghan sources said that hostilities have eased thanks to mediation by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, while Iran has called for restraint and "mutual respect for sovereignty”.

In recent days, Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a mutual defence pact.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump waded into the affair. “I hear there's a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he told reporters on Air Force One as he flew from Washington to Israel on Sunday.

“I'll have to wait till I get back. You know, I'm doing another one, because I'm good at solving wars, I'm good at making peace," he said.

Despite the announcement of a ceasefire, the main border crossings between the two countries (Torkham and Chaman) remain closed to trade and civilian traffic, leaving hundreds of lorries loaded with goods stranded on both sides.

This is one of the most serious incidents between Afghanistan and Pakistan since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Relations have increasingly deteriorated after Islamabad accused the Taliban regime of providing protection, training, and funding to the TTP, charges the latter has repeatedly denied.

The Islamist group has been fighting the Pakistani state for years with the aim of setting up its own Islamic Emirate modelled after the one in Afghanistan.

Over the past four years, their attacks have become increasingly violent and sophisticated.

In an attempt to stabilise the situation, a group of 80 village chiefs and tribal leaders travelled to the Tirah Valley, calling on the TTP to peacefully withdraw from the border area.

According to the Khorasan Diary, mediators will have 7-10 days to strike a deal. During this period, a ceasefire between Pakistani forces and the Taliban will remain in effect until this evening, but the armies of both countries remain on high alert.

In Pakistan, the situation is further complicated by the fact that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif flew to Egypt for talks regarding the Gaza Strip agreement.

In recent days, representatives of the Islamist Tehrik-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party, banned in 2021, have protested against Trump's peace agreement.

The unrest began on Friday, when the group attempted to reach the capital, Islamabad, from the city of Lahore, in Punjab province.

According to the authorities, a police officer and three protesters were killed in Lahore today, but members of the TLP estimate the death toll to be much higher.

The group's leader, Saad Rivzi, and his brother, Anas, were shot during demonstrations in the town of Muridke, where protesters stopped on their way to Islamabad.

Security forces have again closed roads and highways in the two cities (they had reopened yesterday) to prevent further violence, but tensions remain high across the country.

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