Dozens killed and wounded as clashes erupt along Pakistan–Afghanistan border
Assalamu alaikum - May Allah have mercy on the dead and grant shifa to the injured.
A fresh outbreak of fighting along the remote border left dozens dead and many more hurt, with the violence centered around Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak district and Pakistan’s Chaman district.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani forces opened fire with light and heavy weapons, killing 12 civilians and injuring over 100. A Spin Boldak district spokesman put the civilian deaths at 15, and a district hospital reportedly said about 80 of the wounded were women and children. The Taliban also said Afghan fighters returned fire, inflicted heavy casualties on Pakistani forces, and captured weapons and some equipment.
Pakistan’s authorities strongly denied starting the clashes. They say militants from the Afghan side fired on a Pakistani post and nearby areas first, and that the exchanges wounded several Pakistani civilians and killed soldiers. One security source quoted by international media said six Pakistani soldiers were killed in fighting that lasted several hours.
Residents near the border described a frightening scene, with shells landing close to homes and many families driven from their houses. Pakistan’s army said its troops had repelled the attack, killing an estimated 15–20 fighters and turning back other assaults further north.
Observers called the flare-up a serious escalation that could spark wider violence. The Taliban said the fighting eased by early morning, but tensions have been high since clashes across several border areas earlier in the week that produced dozens of casualties on both sides.
Over the weekend, appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar helped halt some fighting, yet most crossings between the two countries remain closed. Kabul had said it struck several Pakistani military posts in response to repeated incursions, claiming 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed. Pakistan’s military rejected that toll, saying it lost 23 soldiers and that its forces killed more than 200 militants in return strikes.
Pakistan accuses elements in Afghanistan of sheltering fighters from the TTP, which Islamabad blames for deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies allowing its soil to be used against other states. Tensions were also stirred by a recent visit by Afghanistan’s foreign minister to India, a trip Pakistan said it noted closely; the Afghan minister said both countries want good ties but blamed some groups inside Pakistan for trying to stir unrest.
May Allah protect the innocent and guide leaders to de-escalate this quickly.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news