Taliban’s Ministry of Defence Confirms Clash On Pakistani Border

The Taliban's Ministry of Defence confirmed the occurrence of clashes on the border with Pakistan.

The ministry said that they had attacked "centres and hideouts of evil elements and their supporters" who were planning and organising attacks on Afghanistan.

The Taliban's Ministry of Defence did not provide statistics on casualties. Pakistani officials have not yet commented on the matter.

A statement from the Taliban's Ministry of Defence, published on Saturday, December 28, said, "Several locations on the other side of the border with centres and hideouts of evil elements and their supporters, from which attacks in Afghanistan were organised, were attacked in retaliation for the action in the southeast of the country."

Al-Mirsad newspaper, which is affiliated with the Taliban's intelligence agency, reported that the clash took place in the Dandpatan area of Paktia and Ali Sher Khost and the casualties were high.
Radio Hurriyet also quoted informed sources as saying that 19 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the clashes.

The clash followed a Pakistani army airstrike on Paktika Province.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that at least 46 people were killed in Pakistani airstrikes on Paktika on Tuesday evening.

According to the Taliban spokesman, Pakistan bombed four locations in Barmal district of Paktika province, and most of the dead were children and women.

The Taliban's Ministry of Defence had said after the Pakistani airstrike in Paktika that it would "not leave the attack unanswered".