Tensions along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan surged on Sunday after a fierce overnight clash between the countries’ militaries. Both sides exchanged heavy fire in what marks one of the sharpest escalations of violence between the neighbors in recent memory.
This latest flare-up follows a series of attacks last week in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, and near a border market, incidents which the Taliban government attributed to Pakistan.
On Sunday, Afghan officials confirmed that their security forces had targeted Pakistani military outposts along the border in what they described as “retaliatory operations.” These actions came after Kabul reported Pakistani airstrikes that allegedly violated Afghan airspace and struck a market on Thursday. The Taliban government went on to claim responsibility for killing dozens of Pakistani soldiers in the overnight attacks.
Pakistani officials acknowledged that their military had engaged in cross-border fire, resulting in the deaths of several Taliban fighters. However, they did not immediately provide details regarding the confrontation or respond to the Taliban government’s specific claims.
The intensity of the overnight fighting has sparked serious concerns that localized violence could quickly spiral into a broader conflict between the two nations, whose governments have grown increasingly hostile towards each other in recent months. International calls for restraint have come from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. India, which recently announced expanded diplomatic ties with the Taliban government, has yet to issue a public statement on the clashes.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban government, informed reporters on Sunday that the fighting had ceased at midnight following diplomatic interventions from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. He asserted that “the situation along all official borders and demarcation lines of Afghanistan is under full control,” while issuing a stern warning that any further violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty “will not go unanswered.”
Last week, Pakistan announced it had conducted “a series of retribution operations” targeting Pakistani militants, but it notably refrained from directly mentioning Afghanistan. Pakistan has consistently accused Kabul of harboring Pakistani militants who launch attacks from Afghan territory and has repeatedly threatened retaliatory action. Nevertheless, it stopped short of explicitly claiming responsibility for the explosions that occurred on Thursday in Kabul and at the border market.
Without delving into the specifics of the most recent violence, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan on Sunday lauded his country’s armed forces for what he termed a “strong and effective response” to recent Afghan provocations along the border. He stated that the military had “destroyed several of their border posts, forcing a retreat.”
Officials from both Pakistan and Afghanistan have claimed their respective forces captured and destroyed multiple border posts and inflicted casualties on the opposing side during the recent clashes. However, these claims could not be independently verified, as access to the tense border region remains severely restricted.
Major border crossings connecting the two countries, including Torkham and Chaman-Spin Boldak, have been closed since the overnight hostilities, as confirmed by both Pakistani and Afghan officials.
Afghanistan and Pakistan share a sprawling, nearly 1,600-mile-long border, often referred to as the Durand Line, which winds through challenging mountainous terrain. Military forces from both nations have frequently engaged in clashes along this frontier, often triggered by cross-border attacks, territorial disagreements, and the construction of new security infrastructure.
Historically, Pakistan provided significant support to the Taliban during its insurgency against the U.S.-led occupation of Afghanistan. However, the relationship has significantly soured since the Taliban’s resurgence to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Pakistan has consistently accused the Taliban government of offering safe haven to the banned group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (T.T.P.), also known as the Pakistani Taliban. This group’s attacks have tragically resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Pakistani security forces in recent years.
On Saturday, the T.T.P. claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a Pakistani province bordering Afghanistan. These assaults killed several security personnel and civilians, including a bombing near a police training facility.
According to Pakistani military officials and independent United Nations experts, the T.T.P. leadership has received financial backing from the Afghan government, and its militants have been able to train freely within Afghanistan. The Taliban in Afghanistan, however, deny providing support to the Pakistani militant group.
Residents in border districts on both sides reported witnessing intense overnight clashes that lasted for several hours, describing the events in telephone interviews.
“The fighting went on for hours without pause,” remarked Shabbir Khan, a resident of Kurram, a Pakistani border district, describing the chilling sound of heavy weapons echoing through the mountains.
Aziz Sayar, residing in the Sawkai district of Afghanistan’s Kunar Province, near the Pakistan border, recounted that the gunfire commenced around 9 p.m. and continued relentlessly for over three hours.
“Our children screamed in fear as bullets echoed through the night,” he added, painting a vivid picture of the terror experienced by locals.