Dozens of Afghan and Pakistani fighters are reportedly dead after border clashes broke out on Sunday following an explosion at Afghanistan’s capital city last week. A separate explosion occurred at a market in the eastern part of Afghanistan, for which the Taliban government now blames Pakistan. 

According to Al Jazeera, fighting broke out between Afghan Taliban forces and the Pakistani military on Sunday along the countries’ border at several locations. Afghanistan says nine of its fighters were killed in the skirmishes, while Pakistan says it lost 23 of its soldiers despite the Taliban claiming that 58 soldiers had been killed. 

The Taliban government’s deputy spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, said in a post on X that further attacks on his country have been “largely prevented” despite the border clashes. “The security situation in Afghanistan is generally reassuring and at its best, with no noteworthy threats across the entire geography of the country,” he said.

Mr. Fitrat claims that the Pakistani military has engaged in attacks against the people of Afghanistan because of the Taliban’s attempts to improve not only the livelihood of their own people, but their diplomatic relations with regional partners as well. 

“Regrettably, it appears that certain specific circles in Afghanistan’s neighborhood are dissatisfied with the improvement in the security situation within Afghanistan and the political, economic, and social progress achieved, and they are not pleased with the interests of the Afghan people,” Mr. Fitrat wrote on Sunday morning. He went on to accuse the Pakistani military of spreading “conspiracies” about the Taliban in Afghanistan. 

Pakistan has denied being involved in either the attack at Kabul or the explosion at the market in eastern Afghanistan. The Pakistani government has been accusing the Taliban of harboring militant groups which target the Pakistani military, though Afghanistan has denied such accusations, according to the Associated Press. 

The Afghan defense ministry said on X late Saturday that it had conducted “a successful retaliatory operation against the centers of Pakistani forces” along the eastern part of the country. The ministry asserted in that post that the government is “prepared to defend the country’s borders and will respond decisively” should Pakistan launch more attacks. 

Other countries in the region have urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to immediately de-escalate. Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry in a statement posted to X said that the kingdom “calls for restraint, the avoidance of escalation, and the adoption of dialogue and wisdom to contribute to reducing tensions and preserving the security and stability of the region.”

Qatar’s foreign ministry offered a similar sentiment, warning of the “potential repercussions for the security and stability of the region” should the border dispute escalate further.