(MENAFN- Live Mint) Pakistan and Afghanistan forces clashed along the border on Saturday night. Both sides claimed casualties. While Afghanistan said 58 Pakistan soldiers died in the heavy border clashes, Islamabad shared a far lesser figure, saying 23 of their soldiers were killed in the clashes.

What's happening between Pakistan and Afghanistan? What led to the border clashes? How many soldiers and civilians have been killed? Here's what we know so far:

Pakistan and Afghanistan's clashes: How the situation escalated?

Pakistan reportedly carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and on a marketplace in eastern Afghanistan, according to Pakistani security officials and the Taliban. It targeted what it alleged were militant hideouts.

Pakistan has not officially acknowledged the airstrikes but asked the Taliban to curb the activities of the Pakistan Taliban.

A Pakistani security official told Reuters the airstrikes were carried out and their intended target in Kabul was the leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who was travelling in a vehicle. It could not independently verify if the leader, Noor Wali Mehsud, had survived.

Armed Taliban security personnel keep guard beside the closed gate of the zero point border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan at Spin Boldak district in Kandahar province on October 12, 2025.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government spokesman, said the incident was an "airspace violation."

This set off retaliatory attacks by the Taliban. Afghan troops opened fire on Pakistani border posts late on Saturday, carrying out retaliatory operations against Pakistani positions along the disputed Durand Line.

“If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan's territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nation's borders and will deliver a strong response,” Taliban government's Defense Ministry said early Sunday morning.

The Pakistan army said in a statement that on the intervening night of October 11-12, Afghan Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) "launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan, along the Pak-Afghan border”.

Afghan forces reportedly targeted Pakistani posts at Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baramcha in Balochistan.

State broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported the military responded to sustained firing from the Afghan side targeting these Pakistani posts.

The exchanges were mostly over on Sunday morning, Pakistani security officials said. But in Pakistan's Kurram area, intermittent gunfire continued, according to local officials and residents, Reuters reported.

Armed Taliban security personnel keep guard near the closed gate of the zero point border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan at Spin Boldak district in Kandahar province on October 12, 2025. Afghanistan and Pakistan said on October 12, they killed dozens of each other's troops during a night of heavy border clashes between the two countries. (Photo by Sanaullah SEIAM / AFP)Kabul 'pauses' fighting for now

Kabul said on Sunday that it had halted attacks at the request of Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The two Arab Gulf nations had released statements of concern about the clashes.

"There is no kind of threat in any part of Afghanistan's territory," the Taliban administration's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Sunday. "The Islamic Emirate and the people of Afghanistan will defend their land and remain resolute and committed in this defence."

“The situation on all official borders and de facto lines of Afghanistan is under complete control, and illegal activities have been largely prevented,” Mujahid told a news conference in Kabul.

Mujahid, however, said that fighting was ongoing in some areas.

A Taliban security personnel holds a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) as he stands guard along a road in the Zazai Maidan district of Khost province near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border on October 12, 2025. How many were killed in Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict this week?

Afghanistan said Sunday it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations. However, the Pakistani Army said that at least 23 Pakistani soldiers and over 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists were killed in intense overnight clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border

The Taliban government's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that Afghan forces have captured 25 Pakistani army posts, leaving 30 Pakistani soldiers wounded.

On the other side, Pakistan seized 19 Afghan military posts and "terrorist hideouts" in response to what it termed "unprovoked" attacks by Afghan forces in the border areas, according to news agency PTI.

The origin of the Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict 1. Militant safe havens, cross-border terrorism

Pakistan accuses Afghan authorities of harbouring members of the banned group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamabad says the group carries out deadly attacks inside Pakistan.

But Kabul denies the charge, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries. "There is no presence of TTP in Afghanistan now," Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Sunday.

Militancy increased in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the withdrawal of US-led troops from neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021 and the return of the Taliban government.

Pakistani political analyst Mehmood Jan Babar told Al Jazeera on Sunday that the clashes were ignited by a“surge” in attacks on Pakistani soldiers in the past several weeks.

The vast majority of attacks are claimed by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), whose campaign against Pakistan security forces has intensified this year -- set to be the deadliest in more than a decade.

2. Durand Line

Another point of contention between the two is the Durand Line. It is recognised by Pakistan but not by Afghanistan, Al Jazeera reported.

Afghanistan has rejected the Durand Line, a border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which was drawn by the British in the 19th century, as per Al Jazeera. The Taliban sees it as a divisive line between Pashtuns on both sides of the border.

Muttaqi said,“The Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the Durand Line is more than 2,400 km long. It could neither be controlled by 'Changez' nor 'Angrez'... Strength alone cannot control it. If Pakistan wants peace, they have a bigger army and better intelligence - why are they not controlling it?”

3. Complicated history

Afghanistan has a complicated history with Pakistan. While Pakistan welcomed Taliban in Kabul as a natural ally, the Taliban government is proving to be less cooperative than Pakistan had hoped, as per Al Jazeera.

The current Taliban regime is trying to align itself with the nation's rhetoric as they are trying to form a 'government' as a metamorphosis from a fighting group. The regime is also trying to forge relations beyond heavy reliance on Pakistan.

Afghan minister warns Pakistan

Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is currently in India, warned Pakistan on Sunday that Kabul has "other options" if it does not want peace, amid border clashes.

Muttaqi said that Afghanistan remains united if it comes under attack.

"When someone tries to interfere in our internal matters, all civilians, government heads, ulemas and all religious leaders come together to fight in the interest of the country... Afghanistan has been under conflict for 40 years... Afghanistan is finally free and is working for peace... If Pakistan doesn't want good relations and peace, then Afghanistan has other options as well," he said.

Meanwhile, Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's foreign minister, said he expects the“Taliban government to take concrete measures against terrorist elements and their perpetrators that wish to derail Pak-Afghan relations”.

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