Fresh deadly border clashes have erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban forces, with both sides accusing the other of violating a fragile ceasefire.
The renewed fighting triggered panic in the Afghan border city of Spin Boldak, where residents fled overnight as gunfire intensified along the 1,600-mile (2,574 km) frontier the two countries share.
According to a medical source in Kandahar, a nearby hospital received the bodies of four people following the clashes. Pakistan has also reported three injuries on its side of the border.
The violence marks yet another flare-up in a series of sporadic confrontations in recent months. Tensions have remained high, particularly as Afghanistan’s Taliban government continues to accuse Pakistan of conducting airstrikes inside Afghan territory an allegation Islamabad denies.
Both sides confirmed they exchanged fire overnight, but each claimed the other initiated the four hours of fighting.
Mosharraf Zaidi, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson, described the incident as “unprovoked firing,” adding: “An immediate, befitting and intense response has been given by our armed forces. Pakistan remains fully alert and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the safety of our citizens.”
In contrast, a Taliban spokesperson insisted Pakistan had “once again initiated attacks,” forcing Afghan forces to respond.
Footage from the area showed large groups of Afghans fleeing on foot and in vehicles, while residents in neighbouring towns also evacuated amid fears that the fighting could spread.
The overnight confrontation comes less than two months after Qatar and Turkey brokered a ceasefire, ending the worst clashes between Pakistan and the Taliban since the group returned to power in 2021. Yet even with the truce in place, distrust between the two sides has persisted.
Islamabad has long accused the Taliban of harbouring militants who conduct attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban government rejects this, saying Pakistan is attempting to shift blame for what it calls its “own security failures.”
Despite the rising tensions, both parties recently met in Saudi Arabia for a fourth round of peace negotiations. Although the talks ended without a breakthrough, sources familiar with the discussions told BBC News that both sides had agreed to continue observing the ceasefire.
