Can Afghan Taliban Fight Pakistani Military?

FILE - A Pakistani paramilitary soldier, left, and Taliban fighters stand guard on their respective sides at a border crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Torkham, in Khyber district, Pakistan, Sept. 5, 2021. FILE - Taliban fighters patrol on the road during a celebration marking the second anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2023. FILE - Pakistan troops patrol along the fence on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at Big Ben hilltop post in Khyber district, Pakistan, Aug. 3, 2021.

Two and a half years into their reign, the Afghan Taliban have cemented their ultra-conservative rule across the war-torn country but have yet to turn their fighting force into a traditional military.