A heavy exchange of fire broke out late Saturday along several stretches of the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, sharply raising tensions between the two neighbors. International media outlets reported intense gunfire and artillery shelling in Khost, Paktika, Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia, and Helmand provinces after a sudden escalation between Taliban and Pakistani forces.
Officials quoted by Reuters said the clashes began when Taliban fighters attacked Pakistani military posts near the frontier. In response, Pakistani troops launched retaliatory strikes, leading to fierce fighting across at least six locations.
Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry spokesperson, Inayatullah Khwarazmi, said the action came in response to Pakistan’s earlier air raid near Kabul last week. “If Pakistan violates our airspace again, our forces will deliver a strong response,” he warned, adding that the fighting subsided around midnight.
Mutual Claims and Escalating Tensions
Taliban officials claimed they had captured three Pakistani outposts, while Islamabad said several Afghan checkpoints were destroyed in counterfire. Videos released by Pakistani security sources showed explosions and heavy shelling lighting up the night sky along the border.
The confrontation followed Pakistan’s aerial strike that targeted leaders of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group accused of launching attacks from Afghan territory. The strike hit a vehicle carrying senior TTP members, though their condition remains unconfirmed.
Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban administration of providing shelter to TTP militants, a claim Kabul strongly denies. Islamabad also alleges that these groups receive backing from India, which New Delhi has firmly rejected.
Neither country has released official figures on casualties or damage from the overnight clashes. Both governments remain on high alert as regional tensions rise, with growing calls for restraint and renewed diplomatic engagement.
