Day Seven Of Taliban-Pak Fighting Brings Airstrikes, Casualties & Diplomatic Moves

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it has stepped up psychological counselling and social support services for women.

The office said the escalating crisis and fighting in Afghanistan have led to the expansion of emergency assistance programmes for women, including support for basic rights, human dignity and mental health counselling.

At least 10 days have passed since clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan began, with attacks by both sides continuing.

International organisations have warned about the serious impact of the fighting on civilians. According to the United Nations, about 66,000 Afghans have been displaced by the clashes.

Radio Hurriyat, a broadcaster close to Taliban intelligence, said in a post on X early Thursday, citing its sources, that Pakistani troops suffered casualties in the attack.

Earlier, sources told Afghanistan International that Pakistani fighter jets had bombed a Taliban army corps base in Kandahar.

Radio Television Afghanistan also reported early Thursday that Pakistani military aircraft attempted to carry out airstrikes overnight but were met with fire from Taliban forces.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the groups said the recent escalation in cross-border fighting has seriously threatened civilian lives, regional stability and long-standing economic ties between the two sides.

The statement noted that Afghanistan has endured nearly five decades of war, displacement, forced returns and repeated cycles of violence, leaving millions of families in fragile economic conditions.

The signatories warned that escalating clashes could worsen conditions for communities on both sides of the border, including refugee families, internally displaced people, traders and workers who rely on cross-border commerce.

The organisations urged the Taliban to ensure secure trade routes, including with Pakistan, to ease economic pressure on the population.

They said sustainable peace requires inclusive dialogue and stressed that military responses cannot replace political processes.

Tarar said 696 Taliban fighters have been wounded during the fighting and that 226 Taliban checkpoints have been destroyed.

In a post on X, he said Pakistani forces had also captured at least 35 Taliban posts since the conflict began. He added that 198 Taliban tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery pieces had been destroyed.

Tarar said Pakistani airstrikes had so far targeted 56 locations across Afghanistan.

The Taliban have not yet officially commented on the figures provided by Pakistan.

On Tuesday, the Pakistani official said 464 Taliban fighters had been killed and 665 wounded.

According to a statement from the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi said respect for Afghanistan’s national sovereignty is a fundamental principle and warned that any violation could affect regional stability.

He said the Taliban seeks relations with regional countries based on mutual respect, non-interference and good neighbourly ties. Any action against Afghanistan’s sovereignty, he added, would negatively affect bilateral and regional relations.

The Taliban said the Chinese ambassador expressed concern over the current regional situation and stressed that China considers regional stability beneficial for all countries.

Zhao also expressed hope that differences between the Taliban and Pakistan could be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. According to the Taliban statement, he said some foreign actors were attempting to undermine regional stability and progress, but regional countries could counter such efforts through coordination and cooperation.