Overnight clash along Afghan-Pakistan border leaves 5 dead and several injured.
- Chalani Himasha
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Himasha Dissanayake, JadeTimes Staff
H. Dissanayake is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia
Image Source: Sibghatullah
An overnight exchange of fire between Afghan-Pakistan forces has left five Afghan civilians dead and eight people wounded on both sides of the border, officials from Afghanistan and Pakistan confirmed on Saturday. The clash occurred near the tense Spin Boldak–Chaman crossing, one of the most sensitive points along the frontier.
According to Afghan authorities, the victims included three children and a woman. Afghan officials accused Pakistani forces of initiating the firing in violation of a fragile two-month ceasefire brokered through Qatari mediation. They said Afghan forces delayed their response for up to 15 minutes in an attempt to avoid escalation.
Pakistan, however, rejected the claim. Local police officials in Chaman said the gunfire began from the Afghan side, injuring three Pakistani civilians, including a woman. Pakistani troops said they returned fire to protect the border and nearby communities.
The clashes lasted until dawn, marking the most serious flare-up since October, when back-to-back border confrontations killed dozens and injured hundreds. Tensions have remained high following an Oct. 9 explosion in Kabul that the Taliban administration blamed on Pakistan.
Both countries continue to accuse each other of sheltering militant groups responsible for cross-border attacks. Pakistan maintains that the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), closely linked to the Afghan Taliban, has intensified attacks inside its territory, with many fighters allegedly operating from Afghanistan since 2021.
The renewed violence erupted just a day after Pakistan announced it would allow the United Nations to send humanitarian supplies into Afghanistan through the largely closed Chaman and Torkham crossings, signaling a brief window of cooperation amid escalating distrust.
In a separate development, Pakistan’s military reported killing nine TTP militants during intelligence-based operations in the Tank and Lakki Marwat districts on Friday.
The latest border clash underscores the fragility of the ceasefire and the deepening mistrust between Kabul and Islamabad, raising concerns about regional stability and the immediate prospects for peace talks.
