Durand Line, Oct 12: Deadly overnight clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border have left dozens dead, officials from both countries confirmed on Sunday, marking the most intense fighting since the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021.
Pakistan’s military said 23 of its soldiers were killed in the confrontation, while the Taliban claimed nine of its fighters had died. Both sides accused the other of suffering far higher casualties — figures that could not be independently verified. Pakistan claimed to have killed more than 200 Taliban and allied fighters, while Kabul’s defence ministry said 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed.
The violence erupted after Pakistan reportedly launched airstrikes on Taliban positions in Kabul and in a market area in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday. Though Islamabad has not officially acknowledged the strikes, Pakistani security officials said they were conducted in response to growing cross-border militant attacks.
The Taliban administration said Afghan forces retaliated by opening fire on Pakistani border posts late Saturday, prompting heavy gun and artillery exchanges through the night. Both countries claimed to have destroyed each other’s border installations. Pakistani security officials also released video footage they said showed Afghan posts being struck.
By early Sunday, the clashes had largely subsided, though sporadic gunfire was still reported in Pakistan’s Kurram district. Afghan defence officials said their operations had concluded at midnight local time. Kabul later said it halted attacks following appeals from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, both of which expressed concern over the escalating violence.
“There is no kind of threat in any part of Afghanistan’s territory,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Sunday. “The Islamic Emirate and the people of Afghanistan will defend their land and remain resolute and committed in this defence.” He added that limited fighting continued in some areas.
Amid the hostilities, Pakistan announced the closure of several crossings along the 2,600-kilometre Durand Line, the disputed colonial-era boundary separating the two nations. Key border points at Torkham and Chaman, along with smaller crossings at Kharlachi, Angoor Adda and Ghulam Khan, were shut on Sunday, officials said.
The clashes come as Islamabad continues to pressure the Taliban to act against militants operating from Afghan soil, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has intensified attacks in Pakistan’s northwest. The Taliban leadership has denied harbouring such groups.
The timing of the violence also coincided with a rare visit to India by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, during which New Delhi announced plans to upgrade diplomatic ties with Kabul — a move that has raised concerns in Islamabad.
As both nations reel from the latest escalation, analysts warn that renewed border instability could further strain regional security and complicate diplomatic efforts to manage tensions between the two uneasy neighbours.
