Taliban say Pakistani forces targeted homes in Khost

A Taliban official in eastern Afghanistan said Pakistani forces shelled residential areas in Khost province overnight, as border fighting between the two sides entered its tenth day.

Mustaghfar Gurbaz, spokesman for the Taliban governor in Khost, said Pakistani border troops fired toward the Brekhilo village in Gurez district, striking what he described as civilian homes.

He did not provide details about casualties or damage.

Gurbaz said Taliban forces responded by targeting what he described as a Pakistani military fort in the Ghulam Khan area near the border.

Pakistani officials have not publicly commented on the claims.

The reported shelling comes amid escalating tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where clashes, artillery fire and airstrikes have been reported across several eastern and southern provinces in recent days.

Both sides have reported heavy casualties in the fighting, though most figures remain unverified.

Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have deteriorated steadily since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.

Pakistan has said the Taliban have allowed TTP and Baloch Liberation Army militants to operate from Afghanistan’s territory and carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Taliban officials have denied those accusations.

Taliban have claimed that over 320 Pakistani soldiers have been killed so far. Pakistan has claimed that over 400 Taliban members have been killed in border clashes and airstrikes over the past 10 days.