Pakistan Reports Heavy Taliban Casualties in Airstrikes as Border Tensions Escalate

Pakistan Reports Heavy Taliban Casualties in Airstrikes as Border Tensions Escalate
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Pakistan has announced that more than 330 fighters from the Afghan Taliban were killed in recent airstrikes and cross-border clashes, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

According to Pakistani officials, the country’s air force conducted extensive operations targeting what it described as Taliban military infrastructure inside Afghan territory. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that at least 331 members of the Afghan Taliban were killed and more than 500 wounded in ongoing strikes and clashes.

State media reported that air operations targeted 37 locations across Afghanistan, including alleged weapons depots and military positions. Pakistani authorities claimed that over 100 sites were destroyed and 22 others taken under control during the operations. Officials further asserted that 163 tanks and armored vehicles belonging to Afghan forces were destroyed.

However, Afghan authorities have disputed Pakistan’s figures, questioning the accuracy of the reported casualty numbers and damage assessments. Kabul has not confirmed the scale of losses cited by Islamabad, and no independent verification of the claims has been released as of March 2.

The escalation follows months of strained relations centered on border security, militant activity, and mutual accusations of cross-border attacks. Pakistan has repeatedly accused armed groups operating from Afghan territory of launching attacks inside its borders, while Afghan officials have rejected those allegations.