The fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has escalated, with Pakistan's militaries reportedly targeting each other's posts across the border. The conflict, which began when Afghanistan's Taliban rulers launched retaliatory strikes on Pakistani installations in response to Pakistan's targetting of militants in Afghanistan. The Taliban defence ministry said that Afghan forces targeted and destroyed a Pakistani military armoured tank on the frontier in Paktika province after it had fired shells towards Afghanistan. Pakistani forces have so far killed 435 Afghan troops, destroyed 188 posts and captured another 31 posts, and destroyed 188 tanks, armoured vehicles, and artillery guns. The fighting has also escalated, fuelled by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.