Taliban-Pakistan Border Conflict Escalates as Afghanistan Accuses Military Faction of Sabotaging Peace

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Afghan government spokesman, has issued a formal request for Pakistan to cease violating Afghanistan's airspace.

The Taliban administration has leveled accusations against an influential segment within Pakistan's military establishment, claiming they are spearheading a hostile campaign and spreading misinformation with the intention of undermining Afghanistan's stability while deflecting attention from Pakistan's internal turmoil.

During a press conference in Kabul, Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), stated that this particular faction "cannot accept Afghanistan's peaceful development" and is deliberately instigating conflict along the contentious Durand Line border that separates the two nations.

Previously, Mujahid had reported that Afghan forces eliminated more than 58 Pakistani soldiers in various confrontations along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and successfully captured 25 Pakistani military outposts. Pakistan's Army Media Wing, ISPR, has confirmed the deaths of 23 Pakistani military personnel.

Mujahid accused the Pakistani faction of disseminating anti-Afghanistan propaganda, disregarding ISIS strongholds within Pakistani territory, and undermining peace initiatives. "This group is generating disorder to conceal its own shortcomings," Mujahid explained. "It dismisses all reasonable solutions to Pakistan's security challenges and aims to pull the entire region into instability."

According to his statement, Afghan forces maintain complete control over national boundaries and have reinforced defensive positions to prevent unauthorized crossings and external attacks. He emphasized that Afghanistan's general security situation has remained stable for eight months without significant incidents. "Every aggressive action has been met with a resolute response," he affirmed. "Afghanistan maintains the sovereign right to defend both its territory and airspace."

Tensions escalated following Pakistan's alleged aerial operations on Thursday in the Bermal district of Paktika province, which constituted a violation of Afghan airspace. Residents reported hearing explosions in Kabul that evening.

In response, Afghan forces conducted coordinated military operations on Saturday night, targeting Pakistani military installations across six provinces, including Kandahar and Nangarhar. Mujahid claimed that Afghan troops captured 20 Pakistani outposts, eliminating 58 soldiers and wounding approximately 30. "We lost only nine fighters as martyrs," he added, noting that operations were temporarily suspended at the request of Qatar and Saudi Arabia. However, fresh hostilities erupted on Sunday after Pakistan resumed artillery fire.

Mujahid accused the Pakistani faction of operating a disinformation network designed to "damage relations between Afghan and Pakistani citizens" and mislead international observers. He alleged that Islamabad deliberately overlooks ISIS-Khorasan activities within its borders, where terrorist networks continue recruitment and training operations. "ISIS's foundational presence is in Pakistan's Orakzai region," he stated. "Even recent terrorist attacks in Tehran and Moscow were orchestrated from hideouts inside Pakistan."

He further claimed that ISIS-K leader Shahab al-Muhajir and his associates currently find refuge in Pakistan and urged Islamabad to either extradite them or force their departure.

Mujahid called upon Pakistan to cease airspace violations and "provocative activities" near the border, warning of "severe negative repercussions" should aggression continue. He observed that the majority of Pakistanis—including military officers, political leaders, and civilians—do not endorse the rogue faction's anti-Afghan position. "They too suffer under its authoritarian conduct," he added.

Despite the intensifying conflict, Mujahid affirmed that the Taliban remains open to dialogue within the framework of Islamic law but will not hesitate to defend Afghanistan's sovereignty. "Afghanistan's stability is essential for regional peace," he declared. "However, those who pursue conflict will find Afghanistan prepared to respond."