Clashes broke out along the volatile Durand Line on Thursday, with heavy exchanges of fire reported between Pakistani security forces and Afghan Taliban border troops across multiple sectors.
According
to sources, the fighting was concentrated in the Nawapas area of Bajaur, opposite Afghanistan’s Kunar province, as well as in the Lower Dir–Bin Shahi belt facing Dangam district. The areas have long been sensitive flashpoints along the rugged frontier.
Initial reports indicate at least one fatality and five people injured in the cross-border violence, though officials have yet to release an official casualty breakdown.
Sources within the Taliban administration alleged that Pakistan’s repeated cross-border shelling and airstrikes, often justified as operations against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have largely impacted civilian areas inside Afghanistan.
They further claimed that recent escalations, including strikes deep inside Afghan territory such as Kabul and Kandahar, signal a widening conflict posture by Islamabad.
The developments mark a sharp deterioration in ties between Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghan government, which had previously maintained a complex but functional relationship.
At the heart of the dispute is Pakistan’s long running accusation that Afghanistan is not doing enough to curb the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The militant group has stepped up attacks inside Pakistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, according to analysts.
Islamabad says many of these fighters operate from Afghan soil, which the Taliban government rejects.
Recent months have seen major attacks in Islamabad and the border region, and the resurgence of militant violence has deepened mistrust between the neighbours.
Analysts warn that continued escalation could further destabilise the border region and strain Pakistan’s regional standing, with critics suggesting that an aggressive security approach risks isolating Islamabad diplomatically.
A truce was brokered by Qatar and Turkey after deadly clashes in October that killed more than 70 people on both sides. But multiple rounds of negotiations since then have failed to produce a durable agreement.
(With AFP Inputs)
