The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan has seen intense fighting between Afghan forces and Pakistani troops, in one of the most serious escalations in recent years.
The Afghan side reports that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 25 border posts were captured during overnight operations. Pakistani authorities confirm the deaths of 23 of their troops and claim significant casualties on the Afghan side of more than 200.
Pakistan cites airstrikes against its targets in Kabul and eastern Afghanistan as the cause of the conflict, including strikes on suspected Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) positions. The Afghan side claims to have launched an operation to seize border positions in response to repeated violations of its airspace by Pakistan.
As a result of the intensified fighting, Pakistani authorities have closed the key border crossings – Torkham and Chaman – as well as a number of smaller border crossings.