Fierce clashes between Pakistani forces and Afghanistan’s Taliban government have left dozens dead on both sides, including soldiers and civilians, in the most serious escalation of hostilities between the two neighbours in years.
Officials confirmed that the fighting, which entered its second week on Wednesday, was triggered by a series of explosions in Afghanistan last week, including two in Kabul, that Pakistan accused militants based in Afghanistan of orchestrating.
In retaliation, Taliban forces launched a cross-border offensive along sections of the southern frontier, prompting Islamabad to threaten a “decisive response.” The violence has since spread across several flashpoints, raising fears of a full-blown border conflict.
According to a statement from Pakistan’s military, Taliban fighters attacked two major border posts in the southwest and northwest early Wednesday. The army said it repelled the assaults, killing about 20 Taliban fighters in clashes near Spin Boldak, on the Afghan side of the Kandahar border.
“Unfortunately, the attack was orchestrated through divided villages in the area, with no regard for the civilian population,” the Pakistani military said, adding that another 30 militants were believed to have died in overnight exchanges along the northwest border.
However, Afghan officials disputed the figures. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistani forces of “once again attacking with light and heavy weapons,” claiming that 15 civilians were killed and over 100 wounded in Spin Boldak. He said “two to three” Taliban fighters also died in the clashes.
Ali Mohammad Haqmal, an information officer in Spin Boldak, alleged that Pakistani mortar shells struck residential areas, causing most of the civilian deaths. “Children and women were among the victims,” he said.
Pakistan dismissed the Taliban’s account as “outrageous and blatant lies,” insisting that its forces had only targeted militant positions.
The Pakistani military has yet to disclose its losses in the latest round of fighting but confirmed that 23 soldiers were killed in the opening week of the skirmishes.
Eyewitnesses described the early morning clashes as chaotic and devastating. “Houses were fired upon, including my cousin’s. His son and wife were killed, and four of his children were wounded,” said Sadiq, a resident of Spin Boldak.
On the Pakistani side, residents of Chaman also reported intense shelling. “Our children and women were terrified and began screaming… we had no idea what was happening,” said 51-year-old Raaz Muhammad.
Meanwhile, in a separate attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, seven Pakistani frontier troops were killed when gunmen stormed a security checkpoint near Peshawar. A little-known militant faction, the Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the assault.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told lawmakers last week that repeated diplomatic efforts to persuade the Taliban government to rein in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had failed.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of providing sanctuary to TTP fighters, who share ideological and operational ties with the Afghan Taliban and have launched numerous attacks inside Pakistan since 2021. Kabul has consistently denied the allegations.
Tensions flared after last week’s bombings in Afghanistan coincided with a rare visit by the Taliban’s top diplomat to India, Pakistan’s long-time rival. No group has yet claimed responsibility for those attacks.
Clashes intensified over the weekend when Taliban forces claimed to have launched operations across at least five border provinces in retaliation for Pakistani air strikes. Islamabad responded by vowing a “powerful and proportionate” counteroffensive.
With villages deserted and casualties mounting, analysts warn that the border tensions - fuelled by deep mistrust and competing security interests - risk pushing the two fragile nations toward a prolonged and destabilising conflict.
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