‘Taliban tanks, Humvees destroyed in Khyber, 200 fighters killed’: What Pakistan is saying about Afghanistan clashes

The Pakistan Army, in a statement, confirmed that 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed in clashes with the Taliban last night. However, it added that the losses it inflicted on the Taliban included 200 fighters and scores of border posts and some bases.

The Pakistan Army, in a statement, reportedly said that it will not stop until the terrorist attacks against Pakistan from Afghanistan come to a halt. Islamabad has been alleging that the “Indian proxy” terrorist group Fitna al-Khwarij or Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been using Afghan soil as its base to attack Pakistan.

Afghan-Pakistan clashes: Latest claims

Earlier in the day, the Taliban had claimed that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 30 were injured in the overnight operation carried out by its forces in retaliation to an air raid over Kabul. Photos and videos of clashes and the capture of military posts were circulated by propaganda machinery on both sides.

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Pro-Pakistan handles have shared photos of its soldiers hoisting the national flag on alleged Taliban posts, while the other side has been showing videos of Pakistani soldiers fleeing positions and Taliban patrolling the Durand Line carefree. None of these videos could be independently verified by THE WEEK.

Pakistan’s claims

Meanwhile, quoting the ISPR, which is the public relations arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces, the country’s media reported that the Asmatullah Karar Camp of the Afghan Taliban was hit. Pakistan considers this a launching pad for terrorist activities, and heavy losses were inflicted in a two-phased strike.

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• Precision strikes helped Pakistan to completely destroy the Taliban’s Durrani Camp, Manojba Camp Battalion Headquarters, and Manojba Camp-2, Ghaznali Headquarters in the Noshki Sector, the report claimed. There were dozens of fighters and TTP militants stationed there, who were killed, it added, without giving an exact count of enemies neutralised.

• Also targeted by the Pakistan military was the Battalion Headquarters of the Afghan Taliban in the Brabcha area, another terror launchpad according to Islamabad.

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• The Barikot base camp of the Afghan Taliban was struck along with Manojba Camp-3, Karzai post, and Shapola Khula Taliban posts, The Dawn reported, quoting ISPR.

• The Taliban had deployed a Humvee armoured personnel carrier near the Zhob Sector of Balochistan. They were taken out along with several tanks that were positioned near Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram, Pakistan claimed.