Tensions escalate along Durand Line as truce comes under strain: What's driving the new crisis between Pakistan and Afghanistan

(FILES) A Taliban security personnel stands guard along a road near the Ghulam Khan zero-point border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Gurbuz district in the southeast of Khost province on October 20, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

The fragile ceasefire along the Durand Line is rapidly unravelling as Pakistan and Afghanistan move heavy artillery and additional troops to their border positions, raising fears of a full-scale military confrontation. Sources told CNN-News18 that both sides have reported intense movement of personnel and equipment, with the latest deployments pointing to serious preparations for conflict rather than restraint.

Pakistani drones have been seen conducting aerial surveillance across multiple sensitive sectors including Chaman-Spin Boldik, Angoor Adda, Kurram-Nangahar and Torkham. Intelligence inputs suggest that both militaries are on high alert, but Pakistan’s aggressive monitoring and troop movement has deepened Afghan concerns about an imminent escalation.

This sharp rise in tension comes after deadly overnight air strikes in eastern Afghanistan that the Taliban government blamed squarely on Pakistan. According to Taliban officials, an air raid in Khost province killed nine children and a woman, with local residents describing the target as the home of an ordinary civilian. Survivors were seen searching through rubble and preparing graves for the dead.

“Our request from the government of Pakistan is this: do not bomb ordinary people. Civilians have done nothing wrong,” said a resident of the affected area.

The Taliban condemned the strikes as a violation of sovereignty and warned that it would respond appropriately at the right time. Kabul has maintained that it has the right to defend its airspace, territory and people against repeated incursions.

Pakistan, however, denied responsibility for the air strikes. A military spokesperson claimed, “Pakistan has not attacked Afghanistan,” adding that the allegations by the Afghan authorities were baseless. Islamabad also stated it never targets civilian populations, despite mounting evidence and eyewitness accounts from the Afghan side.

The tension follows a suicide attack on Monday in Peshawar that killed three officers of Pakistan’s Federal Constabulary and injured 11 others. While no group officially claimed responsibility, Pakistani state media reported that the attackers were Afghan nationals. President Asif Zardari blamed what he called foreign-backed militant groups and accused Afghanistan of harbouring fighters responsible for violence inside Pakistan.

Islamabad has since intensified its rhetoric, with officials alleging that militant networks operating from Afghan territory are guiding attacks on Pakistani soil. Pakistan’s information minister even presented what he said was video evidence linking Afghan soil to recent bombings, accusing Kabul of full involvement.

Afghanistan has strongly rejected these claims, arguing that Pakistan is using militancy as a pretext for military aggression and border violations. Kabul has repeatedly stated that Pakistan itself shelters hostile groups and refuses to respect Afghan sovereignty.

The situation has also placed immense strain on the already weak ceasefire brokered last October by Qatar and Turkey. That truce ended deadly clashes which had killed around 70 people on both sides. Since then, several rounds of talks in Doha and Istanbul have failed to deliver a lasting solution, especially as Pakistan continues to press Afghanistan to act against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a group it claims is protected by Kabul.

Afghanistan denies sheltering the TTP and counters that Pakistan’s accusations serve only to justify its increasingly hostile military posture.

The border has now remained sealed for more than six weeks, freezing bilateral trade and hurting civilian livelihoods. The Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry has warned that thousands of shipping containers remain stranded, with each one incurring heavy daily costs, calling the financial burden unbearable. Yet Pakistan has shown little urgency in reopening trade routes or reducing tensions.

Multiple frontline sectors such as Torkham and Chaman-Spin Boldik have been placed on extreme alert, with emergency protocols activated on both sides. However, analysts note that Pakistan’s deployment of heavy artillery and continuous drone surveillance has been a key factor in pushing the situation towards a breaking point.

Diplomatic communication between Islamabad and Kabul has reportedly slowed to a crawl, further reducing any chance of immediate de-escalation. International observers are closely watching the growing standoff, fearing that a wider conflict along the Durand Line could destabilise the already volatile region.

As the truce comes under severe strain, the next few days will be critical. Whether diplomacy can contain Pakistan’s escalating military posture or whether the situation will spiral into open conflict remains uncertain. What is clear is that the fragile peace along the Durand Line is now at its most dangerous point in months.