Afghan and Pakistani forces clash along border following deadly strikes

Afghan and Pakistani forces engaged in clashes along their border on Tuesday, days after Pakistani air strikes on Afghanistan heightened tensions.

Zabihullah Noorani, head of the Afghan information department in Nangarhar province, said Pakistani forces initiated firing in the Shahkot area near the border. He added that the fighting has stopped with no Afghan casualties.

Mosharraf Zaidi, a Pakistani government official, accused Afghan forces of unprovoked firing near the Torkham border crossing. "Pakistan’s security forces responded immediately and effectively silencing the Taliban aggression," Zaidi wrote on X.

The incident follows Pakistani strikes on Sunday targeting Nangarhar and Paktika provinces. The UN mission in Afghanistan reported at least 13 civilians killed, while Afghanistan’s Taliban government stated at least 18 people died and rejected Pakistan’s claim of more than 80 fighters killed.

Pakistan’s military said the strikes hit camps and hideouts of armed groups responsible for recent attacks, including a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad that killed 32 people.

Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry condemned the strikes, stating they targeted a religious school and residential homes, causing dozens of deaths and injuries including women and children. "We hold the Pakistani military responsible for targeting civilians and religious sites. We will respond to these attacks in due course with a measured and appropriate response," the ministry said.

Relations between the neighbors have deteriorated, with land border crossings largely closed since October clashes that killed more than 70 people. Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to curb armed groups launching attacks into Pakistan, a charge the Taliban government denies.