Pakistan’s military said on Saturday that 21 of its soldiers and more than 200 Taliban and affiliated fighters were killed in heavy overnight clashes along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border.
In a statement, the Pakistan Army said Taliban forces launched coordinated attacks from multiple points along the Durand Line targeting Pakistani border positions, prompting “immediate retaliatory action” from Pakistani troops.
According to the army, more than 200 Taliban members and allied fighters, including militants from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS-Khorasan, were killed in the fighting. Several Taliban border posts were hit, and some of their positions were “temporarily captured,” the statement said.
The military added that the operation aimed to “defend Pakistan’s borders and prevent militant infiltration.” It said 29 Pakistani soldiers were wounded in the clashes, and several Taliban bases and compounds were damaged during counterattacks. The army noted that “all necessary measures were taken to avoid civilian casualties,” adding that Pakistani forces remain “on full alert.”
Earlier on Saturday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed, 30 were wounded and 25 Pakistani border posts were captured during the overnight fighting along the Durand Line.
The conflicting casualty figures could not be independently verified. The clashes mark one of the deadliest escalations between the Taliban and Pakistani forces in recent months, amid rising tensions over cross-border militant activity.
