Pakistan, Afghan Forces in New Border Clash

Pakistani forces responded, reportedly damaging Afghan tanks and military posts, according to Pakistan TV and two security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Tahir Ahrar, deputy police spokesperson in Afghanistan’s Khost province, confirmed the clashes but provided no additional details.

This marks the second exchange of fire along the long border this week. Pakistani media reported that Afghan forces, along with Pakistani Taliban fighters, attacked a Pakistani post in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, prompting a “strong response” from Pakistani troops. Officials said Pakistan also destroyed a major Taliban training facility in the area.

There was no immediate comment from Pakistan’s military, which has been on high alert since Saturday, when fighting across multiple border regions left dozens dead on both sides. Although the clashes paused on Sunday following appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, all border crossings between the two countries remain closed.

Over the weekend, Kabul claimed it targeted several Pakistani military posts, killing 58 soldiers in retaliation for alleged repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace. Pakistan reported 23 military fatalities and said its retaliatory strikes killed more than 200 Taliban and affiliated militants.

Tensions have escalated since last week, after the Taliban government accused Pakistan of airstrikes in Kabul and an eastern market—claims denied by Islamabad. Pakistan has previously carried out strikes inside Afghanistan targeting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts, a group allied but separate from the Afghan Taliban. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering the TTP, responsible for deadly attacks in Pakistan, while Kabul rejects the allegation, insisting it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries, reports UNB.