Afghan and Pakistani forces exchanged heavy fire along their border late on Friday, as relations between the neighbours deteriorate after recent peace talks in Saudi Arabia failed to produce a breakthrough.
Officials from both sides said the skirmish began around 10:30pm local time (18:00 GMT) and lasted roughly two hours, with each accusing the other of firing first. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, said Pakistani forces had launched attacks toward Spin Boldak district in Kandahar and that Islamic Emirate forces responded. Pakistan’s government spokesman said Afghan forces carried out “unprovoked firing” near the Chaman border. Mosharraf Zaidi, speaking for Pakistan’s prime minister, said Pakistan remained alert and committed to protecting its territorial integrity and citizens.
Residents on the Afghan side told AFP that mortar and artillery fire hit civilian homes. Ali Mohammad Haqmal, head of Kandahar’s information department, said Pakistan used “light and heavy artillery.” There were no immediate confirmed casualty figures; Afghan officials said the clashes had ended after both sides agreed to stop.
Ties between the two countries have soured since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Islamabad accuses Kabul of providing sanctuary to armed groups including the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), which has carried out attacks inside Pakistan and claimed a recent roadside bombing that killed three Pakistani police officers near the border. Pakistan also alleges sheltering of the Balochistan Liberation Army and a local ISIL affiliate, ISKP; the Afghan Taliban rejects these charges and says it cannot be held responsible for security inside Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of spreading misinformation and provoking tensions.
The two sides fought a week of deadly clashes in October that left about 70 people dead and hundreds wounded before a ceasefire was signed in Doha on October 19. Subsequent rounds of talks hosted by Qatar, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia have failed to secure a lasting truce. Both sides agreed to continue a fragile ceasefire after the most recent Saudi talks, but Kabul has accused Pakistan of repeated air strikes in eastern Afghanistan in recent weeks. Afghan authorities say a late-November attack in Khost province killed nine children and a woman; Pakistan denied responsibility.