Clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan leave dozens dead on the border.
Confusion over the exact number of victims and wounded in the night operations, the most serious in recent times
Pakistan and Afghanistan entered a new spiral of violence on their shared border this weekend, with dozens of deaths and a diplomatic escalation that threatens to exacerbate regional instability. According to Pakistani military sources, 23 Pakistani soldiers and more than 200 Afghan Taliban fighters have died in the clashes, while Kabul lowers its death toll to nine and states that the Pakistani death toll stands at 58.
![Two Pakistani soldiers during a patrol on the border with Afghanistan, in Chaman.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 5184 3456"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Islamabad accuses Afghan forces of launching "unprovoked attacks," while the Taliban regime maintains that it acted in "retaliation" for the bombings it claims Pakistan carried out on Afghan territory on Friday. In response to the escalation, the Pakistani government has closed all border crossings with Afghanistan, including the main ones at Torkham and Chaman, along the historic Durand Line.
[We are working to expand this information]
