Pakistani military official: “Hundreds of Afghan soldiers sent to hell”

At least 274 Afghan soldiers have been “sent to hell” and more than 400 wounded in Pakistan’s retaliatory operations, General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director of public relations for the country’s armed forces, said at a press conference.

Chaudhry noted that the Pakistani army also destroyed 73 Afghan checkpoints and captured 18 more, according to the Clash Report Telegram channel.

Additionally, over 115 pieces of military equipment, including tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and artillery, were reportedly destroyed.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have entered what Islamabad’s defence minister calls “open war,” as Pakistan launched airstrikes on Taliban military targets in Kabul, Kandahar, and other provinces on February 27 following Afghan attacks on Pakistani positions along the Durand Line.

Both sides report heavy casualties and damage. Pakistan says it killed over 130 Taliban fighters and destroyed several Afghan posts, while Afghan authorities claim their offensive hit Pakistani military positions and caused losses.

The clashes represent a major escalation in tensions that have been rising for months over Islamabad’s claims that militants use Afghan territory to launch attacks into Pakistan.

By Jeyhun Aghazada