What We Know: Taliban Confirms Heavy Cross-Border Clashes With Pakistan After Airstrike Accusations; Multiple Pakistani Soldiers Killed, Captured
Taliban border forces on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday (October 11 and 12) confirmed that "heavy clashes" had erupted with Pakistani troops along multiple points of the Afghanistan–Pakistan border.
The fighting, reportedly spread across Kunar, Dangam, Birkot, and Paktia provinces, came just after the Taliban government accused Pakistan of conducting cross-border airstrikes, which they claimed targeted a civilian market in Paktika and breached Afghan airspace.
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| Image Source: Visegrad24 |
Though no specific casualty figures were officially confirmed by either side at the time of reporting, multiple unverified reports suggested casualties on both sides.
Pakistan’s military has yet to issue a statement, though its officials had earlier denied reports of any strike inside Kabul.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 11, 2025
The Afghan Taliban have launched an attack against Pakistan at the border of the Helmand Province with Pakistan
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The Taliban alleges that the Pakistani Air Force bombed the Marghi area of Paktika province, near the Durand Line, and also struck inside Kabul city late Thursday night.
In a social media post, Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry called the action “an unprecedented, violent, and provocative act,” adding, “We strongly condemn this violation of Afghan airspace, and defending our territory is our right.”
A spokesperson for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, acknowledged an explosion in Kabul on Thursday but said investigations were still underway and no damage was reported at the time.
The clash unfolded as Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited New Delhi, a diplomatic coincidence that has not gone unnoticed in the region.
On Friday, India and Afghanistan jointly described Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism as a “shared threat,” raising further geopolitical implications.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif had just days earlier addressed parliament with unusually blunt language, warning that Islamabad would show “no leniency” and would target “those places from which our forces are being fired upon.”
He also called on the Taliban to prevent their soil from being used by groups like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad blames for a surge in attacks over the past two years.
🔊PR No.3️⃣0️⃣4️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 11, 2025
Pakistan raises its concerns on the elements of India-Afghanistan Joint Statement and Remarks by Afghan Acting Foreign Minister in India
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The TTP, although a separate entity from the Afghan Taliban, has deep ideological and operational ties to the regime in Kabul. Islamabad has increasingly accused the Taliban of harboring TTP fighters and enabling their operations along the porous border.
Unconfirmed local reports cited by Afghan outlets claim that the 201st Khalid ibn al-Walid Corps of the Afghan Army may have captured several Pakistani border posts during retaliatory operations—though these claims have not been independently verified.
Some reports allege that at least five to seven Pakistani soldiers were killed, while several Pakistani soldiers are said to have been captured by Kabul forces.
NEW: The Taliban is sending reinforcements as clashes with Pakistan escalate. pic.twitter.com/dkmk32cTRg
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 11, 2025
The border tensions follow earlier military confrontations in May, when India launched strikes on Pakistani infrastructure in retaliation against a terror attack in Pahalgam. The cycle of tit-for-tat attacks escalated before a ceasefire was reached. However, that ceasefire has not stemmed broader regional volatility, particularly in Afghanistan’s border zones.
This is a developing story.