Escalating Crisis Increasing Needs Of Afghan Women, Says UN

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.

The fighting began after what the Taliban described as retaliatory cross-border attacks and has since escalated despite several countries signalling readiness to mediate. So far, however, there is no clear prospect of negotiations or a political settlement.

Pakistan has named its military campaign against the Taliban “Ghazab-lil-Haq,” while the Taliban has referred to its attacks on Pakistani forces as “Rad-ul-Zulm.”

Residents told Afghanistan International that on Tuesday aircraft were heard overhead, along with explosions and ground-to-air fire, in Panjshir, Kabul, Badakhshan, Kunar and Kapisa provinces.

Pakistani officials said their forces had killed at least 464 Taliban fighters and wounded 665 others. Pakistan’s information minister also said 188 Taliban posts had been destroyed, 31 seized and 192 tanks and armoured vehicles destroyed.

The Taliban, meanwhile, said its forces had captured 10 Pakistani posts and destroyed one tank in recent days, killing more than 150 Pakistani soldiers and wounding 200 others. The group confirmed the deaths of 28 of its fighters and said 42 had been wounded. It also claimed to have shot down five Pakistani drones.

The Taliban accused Pakistan of targeting civilians and deliberately destroying homes, mosques, schools and clinics. The group called on the United Nations and international human rights organisations to condemn the attacks.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said that at least 42 civilians, including women and children, had been killed and 104 wounded in Afghanistan during five days of fighting. About 16,000 families have been displaced, and attacks have damaged humanitarian facilities, including an emergency hospital and the Torkham transit centre. The World Food Programme has also suspended operations in affected areas.

Pakistan rejected UNAMA’s report, saying it relied on figures provided by the Taliban.

Security sources in Pakistan said a prominent Taliban commander was killed in Landi Kotal while attempting to cross the border.

The Taliban described Pakistan as the initiator of the war and said its response would continue as long as Pakistani attacks persist.

A Taliban deputy spokesperson called on the international community to condemn Pakistan’s strikes and warned that if the attacks continued, Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul could be closed.

Meanwhile, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani leaders discussed the situation in Afghanistan. Erdogan called for a ceasefire but did not condemn Pakistan’s attacks.