Heavy fighting along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has left at least 32 soldiers dead on both sides, representing the worst violence between the two nations since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021.
Pakistan’s military reported losing 23 soldiers in clashes that began late Saturday along the disputed 2,640-kilometer frontier. Afghanistan’s Taliban government confirmed nine of its fighters died in the exchanges.
Both countries dispute these figures and claim they killed significantly more enemy combatants. Pakistan said it killed more than 200 Afghan fighters and captured 19 border posts. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid disputed this, saying Afghan forces killed 58 Pakistani troops and wounded 30 others.
Pakistani airstrikes on Thursday in Kabul and other Afghan provinces triggered the escalation. The strikes targeted leaders of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant group that Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring. The TTP, which militants founded in 2007, has waged a deadly insurgency against Pakistan’s government.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government denied responsibility for the initial explosions and accused Pakistan of violating its sovereignty. The two sides then exchanged artillery fire, mortar rounds, and small arms fire across multiple border areas.
Both countries closed all major border crossings on Sunday, leaving thousands of people and cargo trucks unable to cross.
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The clashes coincided with a rare visit to India by Afghanistan’s foreign minister, signaling warming ties between Kabul and New Delhi. Pakistan views India as its primary regional rival and expressed concern about the timing.
Iran’s foreign minister called on both sides to “exercise restraint,” while Saudi Arabia and Qatar also issued statements of concern. Taliban officials said they halted operations at the request of the Gulf nations.
Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan have worsened significantly since 2021, with Islamabad also conducting mass deportations of more than one million Afghan refugees. The country now holds the second position on the Global Terrorism Index, with militant violence reaching its highest level in over a decade.
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