Russia’s Lavrov Calls For Diplomacy To Ease Taliban-Pakistan Tensions

Attaullah Tarar said Pakistani forces have targeted a total of 62 locations across Afghanistan during the fighting.

Speaking on the 11th day of the conflict with the Taliban, Tarar said 237 Taliban outposts had been destroyed and 38 others captured by Pakistani forces.

He added that Pakistani troops had destroyed 205 Taliban tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery units.

Earlier, Enayatullah Khwarizmi, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Defence Ministry, said Taliban forces had carried out offensive attacks on 28 locations in border areas inside Pakistan over the past 24 hours. He claimed the attacks killed 109 Pakistani soldiers and wounded 148 others.

Taliban's defence ministry spokesperson, Enayatullah Khwarizmi said the group's forces launched what he described as “offensive and assault operations” against Pakistani forces in border areas across seven provinces. This includes Kandahar, Nangarhar, Kunar, Khost, Paktia and Paktika provinces.

Khwarizmi said Taliban fighters attacked 28 locations along the border and seized and destroyed 14 Pakistani military outposts. He claimed that 109 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 148 others wounded in the attacks.
According to the spokesperson, three Taliban fighters were killed and nine others wounded during the fighting overnight.

Khwarizmi also said Pakistani attacks killed seven civilians in Afghan villages and injured 13 others.

Pakistani authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the reported Taliban attacks.

The Taliban spokesperson added that more than 10 Pakistani military vehicles were destroyed during the clashes. He also claimed that Taliban forces seized “hundreds of light and heavy weapons” from Pakistani troops.

Khwarizmi said Taliban forces also shot down two Pakistani surveillance drones overnight. He added that since the start of the clashes, Taliban fighters have captured and destroyed 64 Pakistani military outposts and seven bases.

He further claimed that a total of 307 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and more than 350 others wounded since the fighting began.

According to UNAMA, 55 percent of the civilian casualties in the fighting are women and children.

In a statement released on Friday, UNAMA said it recorded and verified a total of 185 civilian casualties in Afghanistan between the evening of February 26 and March 5, 2026.

The figures include 56 civilians killed and 129 others wounded as a result of airstrikes and cross-border clashes.

According to the UN mission, one of the incidents occurred in the Barmal district of Paktika province, where 14 civilians were killed in airstrikes. Those killed included four women, two girls, five boys and three men. Six others, two women, one girl, two boys and one man, were injured.

UNAMA said the number of civilians killed in the recent clashes exceeds the casualties recorded during cross-border fighting in October 2025.

During the October clashes last year, 47 civilians were killed and 456 others injured.

According to UN figures, at least 70 civilians were also killed and 478 others injured in Afghanistan during the final three months of 2025.

In addition, between January 1 and February 22, 2026, airstrikes and cross-border shelling in Nangarhar province killed 13 civilians and injured 12 others.

UNAMA has urged both sides involved in the conflict to take immediate measures to protect civilians.

The mission also said the parties to the conflict must adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians.

According to Mujahid, a total of 94 wagons carrying commercial goods reached the Rozanak station in Herat during the previous day.

The new shipments from Iran reportedly include fuel, food and construction materials.

In a post on X, the Taliban spokesperson said the transfer of commercial goods through the Khaf–Herat railway was continuing as normal and that no delays had occurred.

Citing information from Iranian railway officials, he added that hundreds of additional wagons are currently in Iran and on their way to Afghanistan.

Iran had previously announced a ban on the export of all food and agricultural products until further notice.

He called on both sides to exercise restraint and warned that continued tensions could undermine regional peace and stability.

The Malaysian prime minister held separate phone calls on Thursday with Mohammad Hassan Akhund and Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the situation.

In a statement on Friday, Ibrahim said he had emphasised to Hassan Akhund that both sides should show restraint and avoid actions that could further escalate the situation.

He added that military actions, which have already left hundreds dead on both sides of the conflict, should stop immediately.

Ibrahim said Malaysia supports resolving the tensions through dialogue and diplomatic channels to prevent a prolonged conflict.

He warned that continued fighting would only increase human suffering and weaken regional stability.

The Taliban has sought to draw the attention of regional countries to Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan. Taliban officials have said they remain committed to negotiations with Pakistan, but Islamabad has rejected any talks with the group.