Morning Brief: Trump to Pay Troops, Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Overnight Border Operation, Hamas Ready to Release 20 Living Hostages

Taliban Says 58 Pakistani Soldiers Killed as Border Erupts; Pakistan Shuts Crossings

The Durand Line lit up overnight. Kabul says its forces stormed 25 Pakistani military posts and killed 58 soldiers in a sweeping border operation. Islamabad disputes the toll and says it hit Afghan positions hard in return. What is clear is this fight moved fast from sporadic shots to heavy fire and real consequences on both sides.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid framed the push as retaliation for what Kabul calls repeated violations of Afghan airspace and territory earlier in the week, including strikes near Kabul and in the east. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense called the action successful and said its units now hold the targeted posts. Pakistan pushed back with artillery and small arms and has not confirmed Afghan claims on casualties. Independent confirmation is scarce in that terrain.

The immediate fallout hit trade and travel. Pakistan closed key crossings on Sunday morning, including Torkham and Chaman, choking routine commerce and the daily movement of people who rely on those gates. Gunfire tapered by midday, though intermittent shots still crackled in Kurram. Kabul says its forces remain on alert and warned that further mistakes by Pakistan will bring harsher replies.

This clash did not happen in a vacuum.

Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan, known as TTP, which targets the Pakistani state.

Kabul rejects the charge. In recent months, Pakistan has carried out or has been accused of carrying out strikes inside Afghanistan aimed at TTP figures, incidents that Kabul says killed civilians. That back and forth set conditions for this sharp spike. Regional actors, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, urged restraint to head off a wider slide.

Here is what to watch next. If both governments lean into maximalist narratives on casualty counts and captured ground, expect another round along this mountainous frontier. If crossings stay shut, the economic pressure will mount fast on both sides, from truckers to small traders. The real test is whether hotheads on either side pull the trigger again or whether commanders can keep a brittle ceasefire while diplomats work the phones.

Bottom line. Afghanistan claims a major tactical success. Pakistan denies the scale and signals it is ready to punch back. The facts will sort out in time, but the risk is present now.