Pakistan and Afghanistan have given conflicting accounts of the Angoor Adda exchange reported on October 27. Pakistan says Afghan forces initiated firing and mortar shelling. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense says Pakistani drones struck first and Afghan forces retaliated. The reporting reviewed does not independently establish which side initiated the exchange.
What does Pakistan say happened?
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected Afghanistan’s account on October 28. It called the Afghan account the regime’s “latest fabrication of lies” and said Afghan forces started firing and mortar shelling on the Pakistani side. The ministry also said Pakistani forces destroyed seven Afghan posts and caused heavy casualties. These are the ministry’s claims, not independently verified outcomes. Read the statement reproduced by Radio Pakistan.
What does Afghanistan say?
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense gave a different account, as reported by Ariana News and Omid Radio. It said Pakistani forces carried out four drone strikes near Angoor Adda and security installations in Paktika, after which Afghan forces retaliated. The ministry also claimed Pakistani soldiers were killed and wounded, without giving a precise number in these reports. The ministry’s original statement was not accessible during this research, and the claims have not been independently verified. Ariana News report · Omid Radio report
What has been reported about civilians?
Pakistani officials told the Associated Press that one civilian was killed and five people were wounded in the incident. KabulNow separately reported, citing Afghan security sources, that homes on the Afghan side were also hit by Pakistani fire. It said the extent of damage and possible casualties in Afghanistan had not been independently established. The reports do not establish who caused the civilian casualties. Associated Press report · KabulNow report
Why do the reports give different dates?
The reports carrying Afghanistan’s account do not describe the timing consistently. Ariana News says the ministry placed the alleged drone strikes at about 1 p.m. on Monday. Omid Radio’s report, dated October 28, says they took place the previous day, which would mean October 27. The original ministry statement was not available to resolve this difference.
What remains unverified?
The accounts remain disputed on who initiated the exchange. The reporting reviewed does not independently verify Pakistan’s claim that seven posts were destroyed, Afghanistan’s claim of Pakistani military casualties, or either side’s account of military damage. The sources checked also do not establish whether cross-border activity continued after the reported exchange.
