Deadly Border Clashes Erupt Again Between Afghanistan and Pakistan

At least 15 civilians have been killed and dozens more injured in renewed border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Afghan officials told AFP on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s military reported that around 20 Taliban fighters were killed during the confrontation, as border tensions between the two countries entered their second week.

In a statement, Pakistan’s military said, “Afghan Taliban resorted to cowardly attacks at four locations... While repulsing the attack, 15–20 Afghan Taliban have been killed and many injured. The situation is still developing.”

The escalation follows a series of explosions in Afghanistan last week — including two in Kabul — that Islamabad has blamed on actors within Afghanistan. In response, the Taliban launched a military offensive along parts of its southern border, prompting Pakistan to vow a strong retaliation.

Heavy casualties were reported over the weekend, and fighting resumed early Wednesday morning.

Ali Mohammad Haqmal, spokesperson for the local information department in Spin Boldak, said 15 civilians were killed due to mortar fire. The death toll was confirmed by Abdul Jan Barak, a senior official at Spin Boldak district hospital, who added that more than 80 women and children had been injured.

Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistani forces of attacking the area “once again” using both light and heavy weapons. Mujahid stated that 12 civilians were killed and around 100 others were wounded, though no information was provided about Taliban or Pakistani military casualties.

The Taliban claimed that calm had been restored after several Pakistani soldiers were killed and some military posts and weapons were seized. Pakistani authorities did not immediately respond, but security sources said strikes were launched on Afghan positions from Pakistan's Kurram district, which lies further north than Spin Boldak.

Civilians Caught in Crossfire

Local resident Sadiq told AFP that clashes began around 4:00 a.m. “Houses were fired upon, including my cousin’s. His wife and son were killed, and four of his children were wounded,” he said.

All businesses in the area have been closed, and many residents have fled, according to an AFP correspondent on the ground.

The violence comes amid rising tensions between the two neighbours over cross-border militancy. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of harbouring militants from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an allegation Kabul continues to deny.

Last Thursday, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told parliament that diplomatic efforts to persuade the Afghan Taliban to distance themselves from the TTP had failed.

Islamabad holds the TTP responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Pakistani soldiers since 2021. The group, which shares ideological ties with the Afghan Taliban, is believed to have trained and regrouped across the Afghan border.

Adding to the geopolitical complexity, last week’s unclaimed bombings in Afghanistan coincided with a high-profile, unprecedented visit by the Taliban’s top diplomat to India, Pakistan’s traditional rival.

Clashes reportedly erupted on Saturday evening when the Taliban launched operations in at least five Afghan provinces along the border. The Taliban stated that these attacks were carried out in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul.

Pakistan responded with a pledge of a forceful counterattack, and reports of casualties have continued to mount on both sides.

Source: AFP