Afghanistan says 28 fighters killed as Islamabad, Kabul trade accusations

What the report says

Afghanistan and Pakistan have again traded accusations amid a fresh surge in border tensions, with Kabul saying its forces killed 28 fighters in Afghanistan’s eastern Nuristan province after they crossed over from Pakistan. The Afghan defence ministry said the clash took place on Sunday and was later acknowledged in a post on X, according to the report. It described the dead as a mix of former Afghan security personnel and fighters linked to ISIL (ISIS), alleging they had been recruited or backed by Pakistan’s intelligence services and allied militias.

Pakistan rejected those claims. Its information ministry called the allegations baseless and denied that its security agencies had any role in the Nuristan fighting or in recruiting or training former Afghan personnel. Islamabad also repeated its accusation that Afghan territory is being used by armed groups to carry out attacks inside Pakistan, urging the Taliban to take action against such organisations.

The exchange comes after several recent border incidents and air strikes have deepened mistrust between the neighbours. Al Jazeera reported that Pakistan struck multiple locations in Afghanistan last week, saying they were used to store and launch drones, while Afghan officials said civilians were killed. The UN mission in Afghanistan also confirmed civilian deaths in an earlier Pakistani strike on 21 September. The latest claims and counterclaims underline how cross-border violence continues to strain already fragile relations between the two countries.