'Prepared for a prolonged war': Taliban turns up the heat as Pakistan border clashes intensify

Taliban spokesperson accuses Pakistan of initiating conflict; both sides report significant casualties as border crossings remain shut.

• Taliban says ready for prolonged war amid rising border tensions
• Taliban accuses Pakistan of killing 110 Afghan civilians
• Heavy casualties reported; border crossings stay closed

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The Taliban government in Afghanistan said on Tuesday that it is prepared for a prolonged war as tensions with Pakistan continue to rise along the border.

Speaking at a news conference in Kabul, deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said the conflict was not the choice of the “Islamic Emirate” but that it had the “right to defend” itself against what he described as “aggression,” according to CNN-News18.

“Some countries have called to end the war, but the demand to stop the war should come from Pakistan, the initiator of the war,” Fitrat said, as reported by CNN-News18.

Fitrat claimed that Pakistan’s military had killed 110 civilians so far, including more than 65 women and children, and injured another 123 people. He also alleged that Pakistan could not carry out such attacks without international support.

“Without the support of the international community, Pakistan does not have the capability on its own to carry out an attack on a country,” he said, according to CNN-News18.

The latest escalation began last month when Pakistan launched ‘Operation Ghazab lil Haq’ after accusing Afghan Taliban forces of attacking 53 locations along the 2,600-kilometre border. Islamabad said its air strikes targeted militant groups operating from Afghan territory.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of failing to act against militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban government has denied those charges.

Both sides have reported casualties. Afghan officials have said more than 25 of their soldiers have been killed and estimated Pakistani troop deaths at around 150. Pakistan, however, has claimed that more than 430 Afghan soldiers have been killed and over 630 wounded. These figures could not be independently verified.

The recent violence is the worst since clashes in October that left more than 70 people dead on both sides. Land border crossings between the two countries have largely remained shut since then.

The border dispute comes amid ongoing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over cross-border militancy and security operations along their shared frontier.