ISLAMABAD – US President Donald Trump praised Pakistan for its handling of regional security, saying the South Asian nation “terrifically well” even as brutal cross-border clashes with the Afghan Taliban spiral out of control.
Trump hinted that US intervention could be considered if requested, lauding Pakistan’s leadership and strategic importance amid the growing crisis.
Pakistan’s military launched devastating strikes inside Afghanistan, targeting what officials term militant strongholds. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claimed the operations obliterated bases rather than civilian areas, including sites near the heavily guarded zones of Kabul. He insisted the attacks were part of an aggressive campaign to wipe out threats against Pakistan’s security.
But Afghanistan’s side paints far darker picture. Reports allege fierce border skirmishes in volatile regions such as Khyber and Chitral, with militants firing across the frontier and Pakistani forces responding. Tarar claimed the militants lack conventional military strength, yet acknowledged a shifting diplomatic tone that could alter future negotiations.
Casualty figures remain staggering and deeply disputed. Military media director Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry asserted that 274 Afghan fighters were killed and over 400 injured in the operations. Afghan officials countered with their own explosive claims—alleging 55 Pakistani soldiers died and 19 positions were captured, while also reporting eight militant deaths, 11 injuries, and civilian casualties in Nangarhar province. Neither side’s numbers have been independently verified, leaving the true scale of bloodshed uncertain.
Local reports from Pakistan suggest additional destruction, with several Afghan checkpoints near the Arandu border reportedly reduced to rubble. In response to rising security fears, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry imposed an immediate nationwide ban on outdoor drone flights, citing risks of surveillance and further escalation.
