The Taliban government handed over the detained servicemen to a Saudi delegation months after their capture during intense October 2025 border fighting.
The release was carried out in light of the approaching Islamic holy month and at Saudi Arabia’s request, as part of efforts to ease regional tensions.
Despite the gesture, bilateral relations remain tense with periodic border closures and unresolved disputes over cross-border militancy and security.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government announced that it has released three Pakistani soldiers who were captured during fierce cross-border clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier in October 2025. The handover took place in Kabul, where the soldiers were turned over to a Saudi diplomatic delegation that had been mediating between the two sides.
The three captives were detained on October 12, 2025, during some of the most intense fighting between Afghan and Pakistani forces in recent years — clashes that erupted after a series of explosions in Kabul and quickly spiralled into sustained exchanges of fire along several frontier points. Dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants were killed and many more wounded on both sides before a fragile ceasefire was brokered.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the decision to release and hand over the soldiers was taken “in line with the policy of maintaining positive relations with all countries” and out of respect for the approaching Islamic holy month of Ramadan.” Mujahid also noted that the release came at the request of Saudi Arabia, which has hosted recent talks between Afghan and Pakistani officials aimed at easing tensions.
Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have remained strained since last year’s border clashes. Key crossings on the more than 2,600-km frontier have been periodically closed, disrupting trade and movement. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban-led Afghan administration of harbouring militants who stage attacks within Pakistan — an allegation Kabul denies. Neither the Pakistani government nor its foreign ministry had immediately commented following Tuesday’s announcement.
