A screenshot of the conversation between @ISAFmedia and @ABakhi on social media website Twitter.

After more than a decade of fierce fighting in Afghanistan, the Nato-led Isaf force has taken its war with the Taliban to an entirely different battleground.

On Tuesday, the International Security Assistance Force’s press office got into another war of words with Abdulqahar Balkhi (@abalkhi) — a person known to tweet Taliban’s messages. Unlike the bloody war on the ground, the argument contested claims of casualties and death tolls.

Balkhi claimed Tuesday that four Nato soldiers had been killed by an explosive device earlier in the day. He tweeted: “IED at 8 am today obliterates ISAF tank in Gerishk district (Helmand). All 4 invaders onboard killed.”

To which @Isafmedia, the Isaf’s press office, responded: “ISAF reporting refutes your fatality claim here, and others you make today.”

“Since when is ISAF reporting considered authoritative?? and you are already refuting ‘claims’ for the rest of the day???” remarked Balkhi, who goes by the intro “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, News, Interviews, Analysis, Statements...”.

“Refuting your feed - you claim 15 ISAF fatalities today; ISAF official reporting currently says zero today,” tweeted the official Isaf twitter account, to which Balkhi end conversation with: “Well ISAF personnel need to be held accountable for trying to hide fatalities. Journalists always welcome to confirm ‘claims’.”

This is not the first time the two have got into an argument on the internet. Earlier on May 18, Balkhi claimed the deaths of eight Nato soldiers killed in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, with the Isaf office refuting the claims. The tweets ended in a similar argument.

As early as 2011, the media has reported similar conversations between the two, with one reported by the Guardian in September and another in November reported by CNN.

While talks with the Taliban may have been stalled, the dialogue, though rather unsavory, continues on Twitter.

Opinion

Editorial

May 9 fallout
Updated 09 May, 2024

May 9 fallout

It is important that this chapter be closed satisfactorily so that the nation can move forward.
A fresh approach?
09 May, 2024

A fresh approach?

SUCCESSIVE governments have tried to address the problems of Balochistan — particularly the province’s ...
Visa fraud
09 May, 2024

Visa fraud

THE FIA has a new task at hand: cracking down on fraudulent work visas. This was prompted by the discovery of a...
Narcotic darkness
08 May, 2024

Narcotic darkness

WE have plenty of smoke with fire. Citizens, particularly parents, caught in Pakistan’s grave drug problem are on...
Saudi delegation
08 May, 2024

Saudi delegation

PLANS to bring Saudi investment to Pakistan have clearly been put on the fast track. Over the past month, Prime...
Reserved seats
Updated 08 May, 2024

Reserved seats

The truth is that the entire process — from polls, announcement of results, formation of assemblies and elections to the Senate — has been mishandled.