"58 Pak Soldiers Killed": Taliban's Big Claim And A Warning After Strikes

Taliban spokesperson Zabeehullah Mujahid on Sunday said they killed at least 58 Pakistani soldiers and over 30 were left wounded in retaliatory strikes near the Durand Line in Behrampur district. He also warned Pakistan of leaving "no attack unanswered" and accused it of letting ISIS terrorists hide on their soil.

"Pakistan has turned a blind eye to the presence of ISIS on its soil. Afghanistan has the right to defend its air and land borders and will not leave any attack unanswered. Pakistan should expel the important ISIS members who are hiding there from its soil or hand them over to the Islamic Emirate. The ISIS group poses a threat to many countries in the world, including Afghanistan," Mujahid said.

According to the Taliban leader, the Islamic Emirate had cleared its territory of those causing unrest, but they established new centers in Pashtunkhwa. "Recruits were brought to these centers for training via Karachi and Islamabad airports. Even attacks in Afghanistan are being planned from these centers, and there is documented evidence of this," he said.

Defending the retaliatory strikes, the Taliban spokesperson said, "A significant amount of weapons also fell into the hands of the Islamic Emirate forces. In these clashes, more than 20 members of the Islamic Emirate forces were also killed or wounded. Afghanistan has the right to defend its air and land borders and will not leave any attack unanswered."

Mujahid said that anyone who aggresses against their soil or violates their airspace will "face a harsh response".

The airstrikes were eventually stopped at the request of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, he said.

Three explosions were reported in Afghanistan on Thursday - two in Kabul and one in the southeastern Paktika. The Taliban blamed Islamabad and accused it of violating its sovereignty. Pakistan, however, did not confirm it was behind the attacks, but called on Kabul "to stop harbouring the Pakistani Taliban on its soil."

The Afghan forces, hitting back at Pakistan, targeted Pakistani posts in the provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, and Kunar. All these provinces are located along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the airstrikes and said the country's army "not only gave a befitting reply to Afghanistan's provocations but also destroyed several of their posts, forcing them to retreat." "There will be no compromise on Pakistan's defence, and every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response," he said.