Pakistan Army has launched artillery attacks towards parts of Paktia and Khost provinces in the southeast of the country since last Monday. Pakistani soldiers have engaged with Taliban militants in the border areas of Dand Wa Patan, Aryob Zazi, and Samkani districts of Paktia province, as well as in the Zazai Maidan district of Khost province.
Sources from these two provinces speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily indicate that the highest casualties during the five-day clashes in the border areas of these districts have been inflicted on civilians. According to them, dozens of families have been forced to flee their homes due to being targeted by Pakistani military forces and have sought refuge in remote areas away from the border.
According to sources, in these clashes, 5 civilians have lost their lives in the Dand Wa Patan, Samkani, and Aryob Zazi districts of Paktia province, and 12 others have been wounded. Sources specify that several houses, shops, and a mosque have been destroyed in these clashes.
Sources confirm that three Taliban fighters have also been killed and eight others wounded in these clashes.
Meanwhile, there is no information available regarding potential casualties among Pakistani soldiers in these clashes.
On the other hand, some residents of border areas report that after five days of intense fighting between Taliban fighters and Pakistani soldiers, the authorities of this group have stayed in deadly silence.
Abdul Rahim, one of the residents of the Dand Wa Patan district of Paktia province, says that due to the escalation of clashes, he has been forced to take refuge in the Samkani district of this province. According to him, two nights ago, people in this district were also targeted by the gunfire of Pakistani soldiers.
Abdul Rahim, a resident of Dand Wa Patan district in Paktia province, says that due to the escalation of clashes, he has been forced to seek refuge in the Samkani district of this province. He stated, “Two nights ago, people in this district were also targeted by the gunfire of Pakistani soldiers.”
This resident from Dand Wa Patan, Paktia, remarked, “Thursday witnessed intense fighting. We sought refuge with our families at our friends’ house in the Samkani district, but last night, Pakistani artillery shells targeted these areas as well. Two young men lost their lives in one house, and several others sustained injuries in another. Now, I’m uncertain where to seek shelter. There’s no one to hold accountable.”
Haji Miagul, another resident of Zazai Maidan district in Khost province, recounts the attack by Pakistani forces on parts of this district as follows: “It was close to dawn when I heard several explosions. When we woke up, I realized that from the Pakistani side, towards the Taliban positions and surrounding villages, it was raining shells. This situation continued for almost two hours. The body of a Taliban member was transferred to the district center, and it’s not clear what happened next.”
Although the exact cause of these clashes and their extent remains unclear, sources have confirmed that the clashes began after Pakistani soldiers attempted to establish a checkpoint in the border area of Spin Shagi in the Aryob Zazi district of Paktia province, which was met with resistance from the Taliban.
Meanwhile, the Taliban have occasionally clashed with neighbors, especially Pakistan and Iran, in border areas over the past nearly three years.
In the latest development, the Atlantic Council stated in a report sent to the United Nations Secretary-General that the risk of conflict between Afghanistan and its neighbors has increased following the Taliban’s takeover of the country and is currently at a critical point.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
ادامه درگیریهای مرزی با پاکستان؛ تلفات بلند غیرنظامیان و خاموشی طالبان