How do Pakistan and Taliban Afghan militaries stack up as tensions flare?

Fresh tensions flared between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Tuesday as the Taliban accused Pakistani forces of a bomb attack in Khost province that killed nine children and a woman.

There was no immediate comment from Islamabad.

Dozens of people were killed in airstrikes and ground fighting between the South Asian neighbours last month – their deadliest confrontation since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.

Also Read: Pakistani strikes on Afghanistan kill at least 10, says Taliban govt

Here is a look at how their military forces and arsenals compare, according to data from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

OVERVIEWPakistan’s armed forces benefit from good recruitment and retention, bolstered by equipment from its main defence partner China. Islamabad continues to invest in its military nuclear programmes and is also modernising its navy and air force.The capability of the Afghan Taliban’s armed forces, meanwhile, is declining, with a fall in their ability to use foreign equipment that the Islamist group seized when it returned to power in the landlocked country in 2021.

A lack of international recognition for the Taliban administration has also hurt military modernisation.

PERSONNEL

Pakistan has 660,000 active personnel in its defence forces, of whom 560,000 are in the army, 70,000 are in the air force, and 30,000 are in the navy.

The strength of the Afghan Taliban’s military is thinner, with only 172,000 active personnel. The group has, however, announced plans to expand its armed forces to 200,000 personnel.

FIGHTING VEHICLES AND ARTILLERY

Pakistan has more than 6,000 armoured fighting vehicles, and over 4,600 pieces of artillery.

The Afghan forces also possess armoured fighting vehicles, including Soviet-era main battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers and autonomous underwater vehicles, but their exact number is unknown.

The precise number of artillery they possess, which is of at least three different types, is similarly not known.

AIR FORCE

Pakistan has a fleet of 465 combat aircraft and more than 260 helicopters that include multi-role, attack and transport choppers.

Afghanistan has no fighter jets and no real air force to speak of. It is known to possess at least six aircraft – some of them dating back again to the Soviet era – and 23 helicopters, although it is not possible to assess how many are in flying condition.

NUCLEAR ARSENAL

While Pakistan is a nuclear-armed country and has 170 warheads, Afghanistan does not have a nuclear arsenal.