An overnight Afghan-Pakistani border clash left five Afghan civilians dead and eight more wounded, while three Pakistani civilians were also hurt, officials said Saturday. Both sides have blamed each other for violating a fragile two-month ceasefire.
The deadly exchange occurred near Spin Boldak, in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. Local officials reported that among the Afghan victims were three children and one woman. Pakistani authorities confirmed three people, including a woman, were wounded by gunfire and shelling from the Afghan side. The fighting lasted until dawn.
Tensions along the border have been high since October, when clashes killed dozens of soldiers and civilians and wounded hundreds on both sides. The violence escalated after Kabul experienced explosions on October 9, which the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan.
A Qatar-mediated ceasefire was established after those clashes and has largely held, but peace talks have yet to produce a lasting agreement.
Relations remain strained due to repeated militant attacks in Pakistan, which officials attribute mainly to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP, though separate from the Afghan Taliban, is closely allied with it. Many fighters are believed to have crossed into Afghanistan after the Taliban took power in 2021.
Officials from both countries provided conflicting accounts of the recent clash. Afghan authorities said Pakistani forces began shooting, prompting a brief Afghan response that ended within an hour. Pakistani officials claimed the shooting originated from the Afghan side and said their forces returned fire near the Chaman border crossing, an important trade and transit route.
The incident came just one day after Pakistan announced it would allow the United Nations to deliver relief supplies to Afghanistan through the Chaman and Torkham border points, which had been mostly closed for nearly two months.
Afghan border police stated that Pakistani forces first threw a hand grenade into Spin Boldak, prompting Afghanistan to respond. Officials stressed that Afghanistan remains committed to the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s government said the Afghan Taliban “resorted to unprovoked firing” along the Chaman border. Pakistani forces remain on high alert to protect citizens and the national territory.
In a separate development, Pakistan’s military reported killing nine TTP militants in intelligence-based operations on Friday in the northwestern districts of Tank and Lakki Marwat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which shares a border with Afghanistan.
The cross-border violence highlights ongoing instability in the region. Despite the ceasefire, distrust remains high, and humanitarian access to border areas continues to be restricted, impacting relief efforts for local populations.
Analysts warn that without renewed dialogue and effective border management, further clashes could occur, placing civilians on both sides at continued risk.