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Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have flared again after both sides carried out military strikes along their shared border, raising fears of a wider conflict between the two neighbors.
Pakistani officials said their forces launched strikes early Friday on the Afghan cities of Kabul and Kandahar. According to Islamabad, these actions were “counter strikes” carried out in response to what it described as unprovoked attacks by Afghan Taliban fighters on Pakistani military positions.
A spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban initially posted on X that its forces had responded with renewed attacks on Pakistani troops along the border. The post was later deleted. Taliban officials insisted their operations were retaliatory, claiming they were responding to earlier Pakistani airstrikes that they say killed at least 18 people, including civilians. Pakistan, however, said its earlier strikes targeted suspected militant camps and hideouts linked to attacks inside its territory.
The fighting marks a serious setback after both countries agreed to a fragile ceasefire in October, following deadly cross-border clashes. Despite that agreement, tensions have remained high, and violence has resurfaced in recent days.
Residents in Kabul reported hearing loud explosions across the city early Friday morning. On the Pakistani side, people living in border areas also described hearing heavy gunfire and blasts. In some towns near the frontier, including areas close to Torkham, residents were told to move to safer locations as the exchange of fire intensified.
Pakistan said two of its soldiers were killed late Thursday after Afghan Taliban fighters launched what it described as an operation against military posts along the border. Three more soldiers were injured as Pakistani forces returned fire. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the Afghan side had opened fire without provocation, prompting an “immediate and effective” response.
Taliban military spokesman Mawlawi Wahidullah Mohammadi said their large-scale operation began Thursday evening. The group’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed that numerous Pakistani soldiers had been killed and that some had been captured. He also alleged that Taliban forces had taken control of several Pakistani military posts.
Pakistan strongly denied these claims. A spokesman for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif rejected reports of heavy losses and dismissed assertions that military positions had been captured. Mosharraf Zaidi, speaking for the prime minister, said any aggression against Pakistan would be met with a firm and immediate response.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the Taliban had “miscalculated” by opening fire on multiple locations in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The ministry claimed that Afghan forces suffered heavy casualties and that several of their posts and pieces of equipment were destroyed. It added that Pakistan would take all necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity and the safety of its citizens.
The recent clashes have also disrupted movement across the border. Officials temporarily suspended the repatriation of Afghan nationals through the Torkham crossing due to security concerns. The border crossing was also closed to Afghan refugees amid the fighting.
Earlier this week, Islamabad said it had targeted seven alleged militant camps near the border after a series of suicide bombings inside Pakistan. Afghan officials, however, accused Pakistan of striking civilian homes and a religious school, saying women and children were among those killed.
The exchange highlights the deep mistrust between the two governments. Pakistan and Afghanistan share a long, mountainous border stretching about 1,600 miles (2,574 kilometers). The rugged terrain has long been a source of tension, with both sides accusing each other of harboring militants and violating sovereignty.
As both governments trade accusations and deny each other’s claims, the situation remains tense. With civilians on both sides caught in the middle, the renewed fighting raises concerns about stability in a region that has already endured decades of conflict.