In brief
Conflict has reignited at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, particularly near Spin Boldak, where accusations of ceasefire violations are rampant. Residents have fled, and casualties on both sides have been reported. This flare-up follows previous negotiations aimed at peace, suggesting persistent instability in the relationship between the two nations.
Border clashes have erupted again between Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban forces, with each side accusing the other of breaking a fragile ceasefire.
Residents fled the Afghan city of Spin Boldak overnight, which lies along the 1,600-mile (2,600 km) border between the two countries.
A medical worker in the nearby city of Kandahar told BBC Pashto that four bodies had been brought to a local hospital. Four other people were wounded. Three were reportedly injured in Pakistan.
There has been sporadic fighting between the two countries in recent months, with Afghanistan's Taliban government accusing Pakistan of conducting air strikes inside Afghanistan.
Both sides have confirmed they exchanged fire overnight but each blamed the other for initiating the four hours of fighting.
Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesperson for Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accused the Taliban of unprovoked firing.
The statement continued: An immediate, befitting & intense response has been given by our armed forces. Pakistan remains fully alert & committed to ensuring its territorial integrity & the safety of our citizens.
Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesperson asserted that Pakistan had once again initiated attacks and claimed they were forced to respond.
Footage from the area showed a large number of Afghans fleeing on foot and in vehicles.
Ali Mohammed Haqmal, head of Kandahar's information department, stated that Pakistan's forces had attacked with light and heavy artillery and that civilian homes had been hit by mortar fire.
The latest clashes came less than two months after both sides agreed to a ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Turkey, which ended a spell of fighting that saw dozens killed—the worst clashes since the Taliban retook control in 2021.
The Islamabad government has long accused Afghanistan's Taliban of harboring armed groups that conduct attacks in Pakistan, a claim the Taliban has denied.
The Pakistan Taliban have reportedly conducted at least 600 attacks on Pakistani forces over the past year.
Delegations from both sides recently met in Saudi Arabia for negotiations on a wider peace settlement but failed to reach a consensus, although both parties indicated commitment to continuing the ceasefire.
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