Pakistan Army & Taliban clash in Kunar province along Durand Line, heavy firing reported

In another border escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Pakistani army and the Taliban engaged in fresh clashes along the Durand Line in Kunar province on Tuesday. According to Republic's Afghan correspondent Shershah, the Pakistan side opened fire, shelling heavy artillery in the Dangam district of Kunar, once again spiking tensions. The Taliban was in the area to re-engage with the Pakistan Army, sources said.

The incident comes just months after armed exchanges between the two sides were reported in December 2021. According to footage of the skirmish accessed by Republic Media Network, the cross-firing first began on December 24 afternoon in Kunar province. Notably, Pakistan and the Taliban have been in disagreement regarding the sanctity of the 2,640-kilometre-long border for decades and have locked horns multiple times in the past. 

Taliban preparing army of 1,10,000

On Monday, the acting Defense Minister of Afghanistan, Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob Mujahid, had announced that the Taliban is preparing an army of 1,10,000 members. According to Khaama Press, the Minister was speaking to Afghanistan state TV-RTA wherein he revealed that at least 10,000 people had already joined the force, and nearly 80,000 were undergoing training. The Defence Minister further disclosed that the group had reactivated 4,000 choppers and planes of the Ministry along with tens of vehicles. These "achievements" were "accomplished" since the Taliban took over the country in August, last year, Mujahid stated.

Moreover, he had also addressed the border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Durand stressing that ISIS-K is not a threat to Afghanistan. "Rumors about potential resistance against the Taliban in upcoming summer are ungrounded and baseless. None will cause problems to deteriorate Afghanistan’s current security situation," Khaama Press quoted Mujahid as saying.