4 killed in heavy clashes with Pakistan: Afghanistan

NN ONLINE:

Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan escalated again after heavy cross-border fire late Friday left four Afghan civilians dead, Afghan authorities said on Saturday.

Fighting erupted along the Spin Boldak–Chaman border around 10:30pm local time and continued for nearly two hours, officials and residents said. Both sides blamed each other for firing first.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistani forces of launching attacks toward Spin Boldak, prompting Afghan forces to retaliate. In contrast, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi said Afghan forces carried out “unprovoked firing,” adding that Pakistan remained alert to protect its territory and citizens.

Ali Mohammad Haqmal, head of Kandahar’s information department, told AFP that Pakistani forces used light and heavy artillery, and mortar shells hit civilian homes. He said the clashes later subsided after both sides agreed to halt fire.

Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have deteriorated sharply since the Taliban seized power in 2021, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of harbouring armed groups including the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army, and ISKP. The Taliban rejects the allegations, saying Pakistan is responsible for its own security.

Border tensions spiked in October after Pakistan demanded the Taliban rein in fighters operating from Afghan soil, triggering a week of deadly clashes that killed about 70 people on both sides. A ceasefire was signed in Doha on October 19, but subsequent talks hosted by Qatar, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia have failed to achieve lasting progress.

Despite the fragile truce, Kabul alleges Pakistan has carried out repeated air strikes in eastern Afghanistan in recent weeks — including an attack in Khost province in late November that reportedly killed nine children and a woman. Pakistan has denied any involvement.