Regional diplomacy efforts intensify following reciprocal strikes causing military and civilian casualties.

Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have signaled willingness to negotiate with Pakistan following a rapid escalation of cross-border military exchanges that has left dozens dead and injured in recent days.

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The confrontation intensified after reciprocal operations between both countries. On Friday, Pakistani forces carried out airstrikes targeting Kabul, Kandahar and several Afghan provinces, including Paktia, Paktika, Khost and Laghman. The strikes followed Afghan drone operations against Pakistani military positions in the northwest of the country on Thursday, conducted in retaliation for earlier incursions.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif described the situation as an “open war” and announced a “total confrontation” with the Taliban-led government. The Pakistani army stated that its operations killed 274 Afghan fighters and affiliates and injured more than 400 others. Islamabad also reported 12 soldiers killed, 27 wounded and one missing.

El texto dice: Escala el conflicto entre Pakistán y Afganistán, luego de varios incidentes armados en la última semana. Islamabad bombardea Kabul y declara una guerra abierta. Desde el mundo piden un alto al fuego.

Afghan authorities rejected those figures. Government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid described Pakistan’s casualty claims as “false,” stating that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, that the bodies of 23 had been transferred to Afghanistan, and that “many” others were captured. Afghan officials reported 13 military personnel killed, 22 injured and 13 civilians wounded. Authorities later confirmed that Pakistani bombardments in Khost and Paktika killed 19 civilians and injured 26 others.

As tensions mounted, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi requested Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan to support efforts aimed at resolving the crisis through regional diplomacy. In a statement released by the Afghan Foreign Ministry, authorities characterized recent operations near Kabul as “defensive, reciprocal and aimed at managing and containing the situation.”

Bilateral tensions have increased in recent months after Pakistan accused Afghanistan of sheltering fighters from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an allegation consistently denied by Kabul. Despite the escalation, Mujahid reiterated that Afghan authorities have historically sought to resolve disputes through dialogue and affirmed that the current crisis should follow the same path.

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