The United States has said that it supports Pakistan after it bombed neighbouring Afghanistan and declared war against its interim Taliban government following clashes.
"We continue to monitor the situation closely and expressed support for Pakistan's right to defend itself against Taliban attacks," Allison Hooker, the under secretary of state for political affairs, wrote on X on Friday after talks with a Pakistani counterpart.
Earlier, when US President Donald Trump was asked about potential US intervention, he said: "I would (intervene). But I get along with Pakistan very very well. They are doing terrifically well."
Kabul on Thursday announced it launched border attacks against Pakistan over airstrikes on Sunday by Islamabad inside Afghanistan, which left many dead.
Pakistan responded with heavy fire and fresh air strikes in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia provinces early on Friday.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has imposed an immediate nationwide ban on all drone operations, citing a heightened security environment and ongoing counter-terror operations, according to Pakistani private broadcaster Dunya News.
Pakistan on Friday said its 12 soldiers were killed and another 27 others wounded in the border clashes with Afghan forces.
Addressing a news conference, the army spokesman, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said that one soldier was missing.
He added that some 274 "Afghan Taliban regime operatives" were killed and around 400 others injured in clashes and "coordinated" air strikes by Pakistan Air Force in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia provinces, which "made sure no civilians were targeted."
The air strikes, he added, targeted corps, battalion, and sector headquarters, as well as ammunition and logistic bases of the Afghan forces.
Chaudhry said that the Afghan side opened fire and physical raids in 15 sectors at 53 places along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, claiming: "73 Afghan posts along the border were destroyed, while 18 posts were captured."
He added that some 115 Afghan forces' tanks and vehicles were also destroyed.
TTP at core of conflict
Earlier, Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry said at least eight Afghan soldiers were killed in the border clashes, while Kabul also claimed that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed.
Independent verification of the claims on both sides is challenging due to the ongoing clashes.
At the heart of the conflict with Afghanistan is Pakistan's accusation that Afghanistan’s interim Taliban government provides support to terror groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (or TTP), that have wreaked havoc across inside the South Asian country.
The Interim Afghan government denies the charge, insisting that Pakistan's security situation is its internal problem.
A raft of countries with influence — including Türkiye, China, Russia and Qatar - have indicated an openness to help mediate the conflict.
