The Taliban stated on Thursday that they had launched new retaliatory attacks against Pakistani troops in several border areas in response to Pakistani bombings, according to Afghanistan's de facto government. "Tonight, around 21:00 local time (16:30 GMT), Afghan mujahideen launched retaliatory attacks against regime posts of Pakistan" on the so-called Durand Line that marks the border, Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense said in a statement. Taliban authorities said the attacks were in response to recent Pakistani airstrikes, which Kabul claim have caused civilian casualties. "These extensive retaliatory attacks have been carried out in response to the continued airstrikes by the Pakistani regime and the killing of civilians," the Taliban ministry stated, warning that operations will continue as long as Islamabad maintains these actions. The clashes come after more than ten days of military escalation between Afghanistan and Pakistan along the so-called Durand Line, the de facto border separating the two countries and historically a source of tension between Kabul and Islamabad. In another statement, the Ministry of Defense claimed its forces crossed the Durand Line and took up positions on the Pakistani side opposite the Dand-e-Patan district in Paktia province. "The Tor Gunday outpost in the Dand-e-Patan area of Paktia province has been captured by heroic forces. The barbed wire has been removed and the mujahideen have crossed to the other side, where intense fighting continues," the ministry added. According to Afghanistan, the bulk of the intense fighting has taken place in the Afghan provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Khost, Paktia, and Kandahar, located in the east and south of the country, mainly due to their proximity to Pakistani territory and the presence of numerous border crossings and mountainous areas. In a separate statement, the Taliban claimed that more than 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed and several wounded in the clashes, and asserted that in the last 24 hours their forces destroyed 12 military posts and caused dozens of casualties to Pakistani troops. In their statements, they rejected the figures circulated by Pakistani media about the number of losses on their side and accused the Pakistani army of attacking civilian areas while fighting continued on the border. "The casualty figures reported by Pakistani propaganda media about the mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan are completely false."
