Heavy fighting has erupted once again between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters along the volatile border separating Pakistan and Afghanistan, leaving dozens dead and escalating one of the most serious confrontations between the two sides since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. The clashes, centered around Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, have plunged relations between Islamabad and Kabul to a new low, with both governments trading accusations over who initiated the latest round of hostilities.
After a brief period of calm, violence resumed late Tuesday, when both sides engaged in heavy gunfire and artillery exchanges in the Spin Boldak district, a key crossing point along the Durand Line. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of opening fire with “light and heavy weapons,” claiming that at least 15 civilians were killed and more than 100 others injured. Local hospitals in Kandahar confirmed that a large number of women and children were among the wounded.
In response, Taliban fighters reportedly launched counterattacks on Pakistani military positions, claiming to have destroyed several outposts and captured weapons and tanks. Footage circulating on social media showed Taliban forces riding a seized Pakistani T-55 tank, believed to have been originally purchased from Serbia. Pakistani authorities, however, dismissed those claims, asserting that their forces had successfully repelled Taliban attacks on two border posts and inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents.
The Pakistani military stated that around 30 Taliban fighters were killed in the initial clashes, with another 20 eliminated near Spin Boldak in subsequent airstrikes. Eyewitness videos from the area appeared to show Pakistan Air Force jets conducting operations inside Afghan territory. Meanwhile, Taliban officials alleged that Pakistani strikes also hit civilian areas in Kandahar, exacerbating the humanitarian toll.
In southwestern Pakistan, four civilians were reported wounded after Taliban shelling hit parts of Chaman district, while in the northwestern region of Orakzai, six Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were killed. Thousands of residents from border villages have reportedly fled their homes amid ongoing exchanges of fire and the destruction of several residential areas.
The renewed violence follows Pakistani airstrikes last week targeting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) camps near Kabul. Islamabad has long accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the TTP, a militant network responsible for a series of deadly attacks against Pakistani forces since 2021. The Taliban, in turn, has rejected the allegations and accused Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty through repeated cross-border strikes.
The clashes are the most intense since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan three years ago. Over the weekend, Taliban forces reportedly launched a large-scale offensive across the Durand Line, killing more than 50 Pakistani soldiers and destroying around 20 military outposts. The hostilities briefly subsided on Sunday following appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar but reignited on Tuesday night, with no sign of a lasting ceasefire.
As the situation worsened, Pakistan turned to its Gulf allies for mediation. Diplomatic sources in Islamabad confirmed that Pakistan’s foreign ministry had contacted officials in Doha and Riyadh, urging them to intervene immediately to de-escalate the situation. “For God’s sake, stop Afghans from fighting,” Pakistani officials reportedly pleaded with mediators, according to regional diplomatic channels.
Tensions have also deepened on the diplomatic front. Afghanistan has reportedly denied entry to several senior Pakistani officials, including the country’s defence minister, intelligence chief, and top military commanders. Their visa applications were rejected three times in recent days, prompting Pakistan to suspend bilateral visits and halt most diplomatic exchanges with Kabul.
The deteriorating security situation comes at a delicate time for regional geopolitics. While Islamabad faces growing hostility from Kabul, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is on an official visit to India, marking a new phase of engagement between New Delhi and the Taliban-led government. India has announced plans to re-establish its embassy in Kabul, a move that has caused unease in Pakistan, which views deepening Indo-Afghan cooperation as a potential strategic threat.
The escalation of violence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border highlights the fragility of relations between the two countries. Despite shared historical and religious ties, mutual distrust continues to define their interactions, particularly over the Taliban’s refusal to rein in TTP militants operating within Afghan territory.
With border crossings closed and thousands displaced, humanitarian agencies have raised concerns about worsening conditions for civilians trapped in the conflict zone. For now, the prospect of peace remains distant, as both Islamabad and Kabul appear entrenched in their positions, and regional powers watch closely to see whether mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and Qatar can restore calm along one of the world’s most dangerous frontiers.
