RAWALPINDI: In a strong response to a ceasefire violation, Pakistan’s security forces have destroyed three posts of Afghan Taliban regime soldiers, killing 23 soldiers at the Chaman border on Friday and Saturday, well-placed sources said.
Around midnight, Afghanistan Taliban regime soldiers violated the ceasefire and initiated an unprovoked small arms fire along the Pakistan Afghanistan border in Chaman Sector, Balochistan. Pakistan’s security forces responded immediately, initially with small arms precisely targeting Afghan Taliban posts wherefrom fire was received in violation of international law without any plausible reason.
The engagement continued intermittently for 45 minutes, the local sources confirmed.
To deter the Afghan Taliban soldiers from escalation and to knock sense back, Pakistan security forces employed heavy weapons, including rocket launchers, mortars and heavier direct firing weapons, which resulted into complete destruction of three posts.
“Precision weapons were used to avoid any collateral damage to innocent Afghan population,” the sources said. More than two dozen casualties of Afghan soldiers were reported.
Afghan soldiers left their posts and ran away in rear to use civilian areas for another round of small arms fire, which was responded with another round of heavy weapons, including use of armed swarm drones, leaving more than two dozen Afghan Taliban soldiers confirmed dead, with multiple injuries also recorded.
On facing substantial losses, Taliban forces raised white flags, besides announcements of ceasefire. Pakistan security forces allowed the Afghan Taliban to commence casualty evacuation procedure (including both dead and injured), under surveillance. Damage assessment missions revealed at least 23 confirmed dead and multiple injuries.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Spokesperson for Foreign Media, Mosharraf Zaidi, said that Afghan forces carried out “unprovoked firing” along the Chaman border.
“Pakistan remains fully alert and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the safety of our citizens,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid alleged that Pakistani forces launched attacks in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province. His deputy Hamdullah Fitra told Reuters that shelling by Pakistan killed five people, including a Taliban member.
