What’s driving the deadly border clash between Afghanistan and Pakistan | Explained

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government claimed that its forces killed 58 Pakistani soldiers and captured 25 army posts in overnight retaliatory operations.

Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan erupted over the weekend in one of the sharpest escalations in recent years, with the Taliban claiming to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight operations. Kabul said the strikes were in response to what it called repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace by Islamabad, marking a sharp escalation in hostilities between the two uneasy neighbours.

What happened?

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government claimed that its forces killed 58 Pakistani soldiers and captured 25 army posts in overnight retaliatory operations. Government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said at a press briefing that 30 more Pakistani troops were wounded, while nine Afghan soldiers were also killed during the clashes.

Pakistan, however, disputed those figures, saying that 23 of its soldiers were killed and that its forces managed to kill more than 200 Taliban and affiliated fighters in counterfire. The Associated Press reported that both sides used heavy weaponry, and exchanges were among the fiercest since the Taliban seized power in 2021.

The overnight fighting was reportedly halted at midnight after diplomatic mediation from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters, which cited Afghan officials.

Where and when did it happen?

The confrontation began late Saturday along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, with fighting concentrated in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province — including Chitral, Bajaur, Mohmand, Angoor Adda and Kurram districts.

Both the Torkham and Chaman crossings, the two key border trade routes, were closed on Sunday as tensions flared. Local officials told AFP the closures had disrupted movement and trade for communities dependent on cross-border access.

What triggered the fighting?

Afghan authorities blamed Pakistan for launching two airstrikes earlier in the week, one in Kabul’s Abdul Haq Square near several ministries and another in Paktika province. The Taliban government called the attacks “violent, unprecedented and heinous” and vowed a strong response.

Islamabad has not confirmed carrying out those strikes. But Pakistan has in the past conducted cross-border operations against what it calls militant hideouts, insisting it must act to protect its people from Afghanistan-based insurgents, a claim the Taliban government denies.

What are both sides saying?

In Kabul, Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghan forces had acted in “self-defence” after “violations of Afghan airspace.” He warned that further incursions would draw a stronger military response.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on the other hand, accused the Taliban of provocation. “There will be no compromise on Pakistan’s defence, and every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response,” he said in a statement.

A senior Pakistani security official, speaking anonymously to AP, said Afghan troops opened fire in multiple districts, forcing Pakistani forces to retaliate with heavy artillery near Tirah and across the border in Nangarhar province.

Asked whether Pakistan had conducted airstrikes inside Afghanistan, army spokesman Ahmad Sharif avoided a direct answer but said “necessary measures will be taken” to safeguard Pakistani citizens.

Why are relations so tense?

The flare-up stems from years of mistrust and recurring skirmishes along the 2,611-km Durand Line, a border Afghanistan has never formally recognised. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of sheltering Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants who stage cross-border attacks. Kabul denies this and claims Islamabad routinely violates Afghan sovereignty.

Analysts say the timing is also significant: the Taliban recently made its first diplomatic visit to India since 2021, a move likely viewed with unease in Islamabad. Regional experts told The Guardian that Pakistan fears closer India-Afghanistan ties could alter the regional security balance.

What happens next?

The clashes have already disrupted cross-border trade and strained fragile diplomatic channels. Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia have reportedly urged restraint, and Pakistani security forces remain on high alert along the frontier.

If tensions persist, they could spill into broader instability in the region, complicating Pakistan’s internal security challenges and the Taliban’s efforts to gain international legitimacy.