Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported on Sunday that a soldier was killed and 11 others were injured when Afghan forces launched fire on multiple border posts in the Upper Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday.

The Afghan forces targeted border posts in Ghozgarhi, Matha Sangar, Kot Ragha and Tari Mengal areas using both light and heavy weaponry, the paper said, adding that Pakistani security forces retaliated, inflicting significant losses on the other side.

Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns over Afghan soil being used by militants for cross-border terrorism, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The attack on Pakistani border posts took place days after Pakistani military carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, killing around 50 people.

After the bombardment, Afghan authorities warned that they would retaliate, and on Saturday, Afghanistan’s defence ministry said that the country’s forces attacked “several points” across the Durand Line against “evil elements and their backers.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law allowing Russian judicial and legal institutions to remove the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) from the country’s list of prohibited entities.

According to Interfax news agency, Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the State Duma’s International Affairs Committee and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, previously stated that this legislation was introduced to ensure the legal framework for Russia’s interaction with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Russia has gradually developed relations with the Islamic Emirate, which President Putin referred to as Moscow’s ally in combating terrorism during July. The Russian State Duma approved the draft law on December 10, and it was passed by the Russian Parliament on December 17.

The draft law was introduced by several Russian Duma members on November 25, just one day after Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s National Security Council Secretary, visited Kabul. The law paves the way for removing the Islamic Emirate from Russia’s prohibited list.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has reacted to the border clashes that erupted between Pakistani and Afghan forces on Saturday.

Moscow is worried over the escalation of tensions on the Pakistani-Afghan border and urges both sides to show restraint and engage in constructive dialogue Zakharova said in a commentary.

"Moscow is concerned over the escalation of tensions on the Pakistani-Afghan border where not only the military but also civilians perish in shootouts. We are calling on the sides involved to show restraint and engage in constructive dialogue, aiming to peacefully resolve all differences," the diplomat emphasized, TASS reported.

This comes after the Ministry of National Defense said on Saturday it has attacked "centers and hideouts of evil elements and their supporters" across the Durand Line.

"Several points across the hypothetical line including centers and hideouts of evil elements and their supporters from where attacks were organized in Afghanistan were attacked in revenge from the southeast of the country," the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, sources said that retaliatory attacks across the Durand Line began last night from Alisher district of Khost province and Dand Patan district of Paktia province and continued until morning.

According to sources, light and heavy weapons were used in the clashes.

Earlier, Pakistan launched airstrikes in Paktika's Barmal district on Tuesday, killing and wounding dozens of people.

The Ministry of National Defense of Afghanistan had warned that the attacks would not go unanswered.