Pak-Afghan forces clash again on border, dozens killed

Cross-border clashes erupted between Pakistani and Afghan forces during the early hours of Wednesday (October 15) resulting in dozens of people being killed and wounded.

Afghan Taliban forces reportedly destroyed a Pakistan Army border outpost and seized a Pakistani tank.

The clashes occurred in Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak district in the southeastern part of the country and in Pakistan’s Chaman district. Both sides accused each other of triggering the skirmishes.

The Afghans claimed that at least 12 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a Pakistani military strike on Spin Boldak using light and heavy weapons.

A Taliban spokesperson said several Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory action by Afghan forces.

Also Read: Pakistan says 23 soldiers, over 200 Taliban fighters killed in border clashes

Clashes on Oct 14

Clashes erupted on Tuesday (October 14) between Pakistani and Afghan forces in a remote northwestern border region, with state-run media in Pakistan accusing Afghan troops of opening "unprovoked fire" that was repulsed.

Pakistani forces responded, damaging Afghan tanks and military posts, according to Pakistan TV and two security officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Tahir Ahrar, a deputy police spokesperson in Afghanistan's Khost province, confirmed the clashes but provided no further details.

This is the second time this week that the two sides have traded fire along their long border.

Also Read: 58 Pak soldiers killed in strikes, says Taliban; Islamabad claims counteroffensive

Pak post fired at ‘without provocation’

According to Pakistan's state-run media, Afghan forces and the Pakistani Taliban jointly opened fire at a Pakistani post "without provocation", prompting what the media described as a "strong response" from Pakistani troops in Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Security officials said Pakistan's military also destroyed a sprawling training facility of the Pakistani Taliban. Pakistan conducted strikes and physical raids against Taliban camps and posts and terrorist training facilities and support networks in Afghanistan, according to a military statement.

High alert

There was no immediate comment from Pakistan's military, which has been on high alert since Saturday (October 11), when both sides traded fire across multiple border regions, resulting in dozens of casualties on each side.

Although the clashes halted on Sunday (October 12) after appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, all border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained closed.

Over the weekend, Kabul said that it targeted several Pakistani military posts and killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in retaliation for what it called repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace.

Pakistan's military reported lower figures, saying it lost 23 soldiers and killed more than 200 "Taliban and affiliated terrorists" in retaliatory fire along the frontier, a figure far beyond the Taliban’s nine claimed losses.

Also Read: ‘Enough is enough’: Pakistan warns Taliban regime over cross-border terror

Pak accused of airstrikes on Kabul

Tensions have remained high since last week, when the Taliban government accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in Kabul and in an eastern market. Pakistan has not acknowledged those allegations.

But Pakistan has previously launched strikes inside Afghanistan, saying it targets hideouts of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is separate from but allied to the Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan accuses Kabul of harbouring the group, which has carried out numerous deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the charge, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries.

Pakistan has faced an increase in Islamist violence since the Taliban took over in Kabul in 2021, emboldening militant groups.

Also Read: Jaishankar meets Taliban FM Muttaqi in Delhi: Top 5 takeaways from crucial meeting

Complicated history

The two nations have a long and complicated history, engaging in frequent clashes along their mountainous disputed border called the “Durand Line”.

Pakistan supported the Taliban during its insurgency against the Afghan government in the early part of this century. The two countries also carry out a lot of trade and share strong ties between its citizens. Millions of Afghan refugees have been given shelter by Pakistan for decades during war, though it has now begun to expel them because of the risk of terrorism.

The relations between the two countries have soured due to an increase in militant violence against Pakistan.

The TTP has become of Pakistan’s biggest national security threats, carrying out about 600 attacks against Pakistani forces during the past year, according to some reports.

Also Read: ‘Eight wars resolved’, Trump now eyes ninth: Pakistan vs Afghanistan

The India angle

The latest confrontation between the two countries coincided with a visit by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, triggering concern in Islamabad.

Signalling the closer ties between India and Afghanistan, New Delhi said it would reopen an embassy in Kabul, calling Muttaqi’s visit “an important step in advancing our ties and affirming the enduring friendship” between the two nations.

Some experts say that this visit by the Afghan foreign minister to India has raised the feeling of insecurity for Pakistan on both its western and eastern borders.

(With agency inputs)