Clashes resumed on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, with the deaths of at least five Pakistani soldiers and 25 militants reported so far, as delegations from both countries
met to defuse the deadliest fighting in years between the former allies.
According to the Pakistani military, the militants tried to cross over from Afghanistan on Friday and Saturday in the Kurram and North Waziristan districts. Islamabad said the attempted infiltrations cast doubt on the intentions of the Afghan government to address “the issue of terrorism emanating from its soil”.
Pakistani forces also claimed to seize a large cache of weapons and explosives during Sunday’s clashes. In Afghanistan, the Taliban government’s chief spokesman and the defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported attacks.
Afghanistan-Pakistan Peace Talks
The clashes broke out as officials from both countries were meeting in Istanbul to negotiate a peace deal and prevent a relapse into conflict after deadly clashes between their armies broke out earlier this month.
The talks follow a temporary restoration of calm along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border after the first round of discussions was held in Doha on October 19. The dialogue was facilitated by Qatar and Turkey, and both sides had agreed to meet again in Istanbul on October 25 and 26 to continue discussions aimed at addressing mutual security concerns.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the truce was holding and he believed Afghanistan wanted peace. However, he declared that Islamabad would launch an “open war” if the ongoing peace talks failed.
Tense Situation At Border
The violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated dramatically this month as the Taliban’s foreign minister began a visit to India. Forces from both countries engaged in fierce fighting on the ground, while Islamabad also launched airstrikes along the contested border, with both sides claiming dozens of casualties.
After Doha’s peace talks resulted in a brief truce, Pakistan abruptly launched fresh airstrikes inside Afghanistan, killing 10 people. The Taliban accused Islamabad of breaking a 48-hour ceasefire and promised to respond, before agreeing to a full ceasefire.
Pakistan has accused the Taliban-led government of not doing enough to control militants, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as it has faced a renewed violence in border districts since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. In response, Kabul has rejected the accusations, stating that Pakistan is responsible for its own security.
