Afghanistan says 28 fighters killed as Islamabad, Kabul trade accusations | Pakistan Taliban News
Relations Strain Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Amid Cross-Border Violence
Published September 27, 2026
Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have further deteriorated as both countries exchange accusations regarding terrorism and cross-border violence.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence reported that its forces killed 28 fighters in the eastern province of Nuristan, claiming they had crossed the border from Pakistan. The Taliban’s defence ministry confirmed the engagement, stating that clashes occurred on Sunday.
The Afghan ministry alleged that the majority of the fighters were former members of Afghan security forces, purportedly recruited by Pakistan’s intelligence services, who were promised asylum and well-paying jobs abroad. The defence ministry also claimed that some of the fighters were affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and received support from Pakistani militias.
In response, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting dismissed these allegations as “frivolous, baseless and devoid of any truth.” The ministry denied any involvement by its security forces or intelligence agencies in the clashes and rejected claims of recruiting or training former Afghan personnel. Furthermore, it stated that Pakistan was not complicit in facilitating ISIL or other armed groups operating in Afghanistan.
Pakistan urged the Taliban to take credible action against terrorist organizations operating within its borders and to ensure Afghan territory is not used for attacks against Pakistan or any other nation. The ministry criticized the Taliban’s attempts to deflect responsibility through what it called fabricated accusations.
Tensions have been escalating between the two nations. Last week, Pakistan launched air strikes on ten locations in Afghanistan, alleging these sites were used for storing and launching drones involved in cross-border attacks. The strikes reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least four individuals, according to an Afghan Taliban spokesman, who promised an “appropriate response.”
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of providing sanctuary to groups that carry out attacks on its soil, a charge that the Afghan government denies. The recent skirmishes follow earlier Pakistani air strikes on September 21, which Islamabad claims resulted in the deaths of 28 fighters. Afghan officials, however, reported civilian casualties, with the United Nations mission in Afghanistan confirming three civilian deaths from that incident.
