Pakistan’s military launched air and artillery strikes deep inside Afghanistan overnight and into early Saturday, killing more than 300 Afghan personnel amid escalating border fighting between the two sides, a government spokesman and officials said.
The two sides have targeted each other's military positions since Thursday night, when Afghanistan launched strikes in response to Pakistani attacks that Islamabad said hit seven training camps and hideouts of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group is separate but closely allied with Afghanistan's Taliban.
More than 331 Afghan Taliban forces had been killed and over 500 others wounded during the ongoing military strikes in Afghanistan, according to Pakistan's Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, who said Pakistan also destroyed 102 Afghan posts, captured 22 others and destroyed 163 tanks and armored vehicles at 37 locations.
On Saturday, Pakistan's state-run media reported the country's air force carried out strikes targeting key military installations in various areas of eastern Afghanistan.
According to Pakistani authorities, hundreds of residents living near the northwestern Torkham border crossing have fled to safer areas. In recent days, Pakistan has also transported dozens of Afghan refugees who had been waiting at the Torkham crossing to return home to safer locations.
