Heavy clashes erupted along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border late Saturday, marking one of the most intense confrontations between the two neighbours in recent months. The fighting broke out after Taliban forces reportedly launched coordinated attacks on Pakistani military outposts, accusing Islamabad of conducting airstrikes inside Afghan territory.
According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence, Taliban fighters carried out what they called “successful retaliatory operations” against Pakistani forces in response to what they described as repeated violations of Afghan sovereignty. Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarizmi stated that the operations concluded around midnight and warned Islamabad against any further airspace intrusions, promising a “firm response” if such actions continue.
The clashes reportedly spanned more than six volatile points along the 2,600-kilometre frontier, particularly in eastern and southern Afghanistan. Taliban officials claimed they had seized three Pakistani border posts, while Islamabad countered that its forces had destroyed multiple Afghan positions in “retaliatory fire.”
A senior Pakistani security official told AFP that “full force” was being used to respond to “unprovoked firing” from across the border, confirming that three Afghan drones carrying explosives were shot down.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi denounced the attacks as “unprovoked aggression,” warning that “no provocation will be tolerated.” He emphasized on social media that “Pakistan’s brave forces have given a prompt and effective response—brick for brick.”
Airstrike Allegations Add Fuel to the Fire
The border violence followed a series of explosions in Kabul and southeastern Afghanistan on Thursday. The Taliban administration accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes targeting militant hideouts — an accusation Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.
For years, Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering militants from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned group behind hundreds of deadly attacks inside Pakistan. The TTP shares close ideological and operational ties with Afghanistan’s Taliban government and allegedly operates from sanctuaries across the border.
Recently, the TTP has stepped up its attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. On Saturday morning, the group claimed responsibility for assaults that killed 20 security personnel and three civilians.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Parliament last week that diplomatic efforts to convince the Afghan Taliban to rein in the TTP had failed. “We will not tolerate this any longer,” Asif declared, calling for a united response “against those facilitating terrorism — wherever they may be.”
A Relationship on the Brink
The escalating conflict highlights the fragile nature of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. What began as cautious cooperation has turned into mutual mistrust. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring militants who attack Pakistan, while Kabul accuses Islamabad of violating its sovereignty through drone and air strikes.
A recent UN report claimed that the TTP “received substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities” in Afghanistan — an allegation strongly denied by the Taliban. Despite several rounds of dialogue, both governments have failed to establish a lasting border security framework, leaving the region vulnerable to recurring violence.
As of early Sunday, no official confirmation had been issued regarding a ceasefire. Security officials in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province described the situation as “tense but under control,” while Afghan provincial sources reported that local commanders remain “on high alert.”
This latest escalation coincides with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s diplomatic visit to India, underscoring growing regional complexities and shifting alliances.
The renewed violence serves as a stark reminder of how fragile peace remains in the region — a border that has seen more division than dialogue, more retaliation than reconciliation. As both nations stand at a crossroads, the world watches anxiously, hoping reason prevails over revenge, and humanity triumphs over hostility.
