Taliban says 12 Afghans killed, over 100 injured in Pakistani military attack

Kabul, Oct 15 (IANS) At least 12 people were killed and over 100 others were injured in a Pakistani military strike on Spin Boldak district in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan on Wednesday, local media reported, quoting the Taliban.

In a statement shared on X, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that Pakistani forces launched an attack on the border district early morning using light and heavy weapons.

Mujahid said that multiple Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory action by Afghan forces, Afghanistan's leading news agency Khaama Press reported.

"Unfortunately, this morning, Pakistani forces once again launched attacks with light and heavy weapons on Afghanistan in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar, as a result of which more than 12 civilians were martyred and more than 100 were injured. After that, Afghan forces were forced to take retaliatory action," Zabihullah Mujahid posted on X.

"In retaliatory operations, multiple Pakistani aggressor soldiers were killed, their posts and centres were captured, weapons and tanks fell into the hands of Afghan forces, and most of their military installations were destroyed. However, the mujahideen, with high spirits, are ready to defend their homeland, sanctuaries, and people," he added.

Taliban officials said that the clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan forces started at around 4 a.m. (local time) and continued until 8 a.m. (local time).

Local sources revealed that clashes caused casualties on both sides, and nearby civilian areas suffered damage.

Speaking to local media, medical staff in Kandahar said that at least 25 bodies and more than 80 others injured were taken to hospitals after the attack.

Officials said that many of those wounded included women and children from residential areas near the border. The incident took place amid escalating border tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan following a series of clashes and airstrikes in recent days.

Earlier on Sunday, Zabihullah Mujahid said that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 30 others wounded during a retaliatory operation carried out by the Afghan forces, along the Durand Line.

He stated that 20 Pakistani security outposts were destroyed, and several weapons were seized during the operation on Saturday night.

"Nine Afghan soldiers were also martyred and 16 others wounded, while 20 Pakistani security outposts were destroyed," Mujahid said.

He said the military action was halted at midnight following requests from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Afghanistan-based Tolo News reported.

Mujahid also claimed that after ISIS-K was defeated in Afghanistan, it started establishing its bases in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He claimed that the recent ISIS-K attacks in Afghanistan were orchestrated from these bases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and urged the Pakistani government to hand over key ISIS-K members to Kabul.

--IANS

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