Afghanistan’s military says it has captured several Pakistani army posts in strikes against its neighbor to retaliate for Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas earlier in the week, the latest escalation of violence between the volatile neighbors. Pakistan’s government, which had described Sunday’s airstrikes as an attack on militants harbored in the area, confirmed clashes were taking place Thursday along the border but dismissed claims that army posts had been captured. It called Afghanistan’s attacks Thursday unprovoked. Afghanistan’s military corps in the east said in a statement that “heavy clashes” had begun Thursday night “in response to the recent airstrikes carried out by Pakistani forces” in eastern Afghanistan.
