Tensions along the volatile Afghanistan-Pakistan border escalated dramatically on Tuesday evening as military forces from both nations engaged in sustained cross-border artillery exchanges across multiple frontier locations. The skirmishes marked a significant deterioration in bilateral relations between the neighboring countries.
According to Pakistani security officials who spoke with Xinhua News Agency, the confrontations occurred simultaneously in several strategic border areas including Bazar Zakhakhel, Waragha, Maro Sar, and Shako. Both sides deployed heavy weaponry in the exchanges, though initial reports indicated no immediate casualties resulting from the direct clashes.
The incident sparked a diplomatic blame game between the two nations. Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for the Pakistani prime minister’s office on foreign media, asserted that Afghan forces had initiated “unprovoked firing” in the Torkham and Tirah border regions. In a statement posted on social media platform X, Zaidi claimed Pakistan’s security forces had responded “immediately and effectively” to the provocation and issued a stern warning that any further escalation would be met with “a severe response.”
Afghan officials presented a contradictory narrative of events. Sediqullah Nusrat, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense, told Xinhua that Pakistani forces had opened fire first, targeting Afghan personnel conducting routine patrols along the border. This latest confrontation follows Sunday’s airstrikes by Pakistani forces that Afghanistan claims killed 18 people and injured five others near the border region.
Pakistan defended Sunday’s aerial operations as “intelligence-based, targeted strikes” against seven militant camps and hideouts in response to recent suicide bombings. Pakistani authorities stated these operations eliminated more than 80 terrorists operating in the border area.
The exchange of fire represents the most serious military confrontation between the two nations in recent months and highlights the ongoing security challenges along their porous, disputed border. Both governments have maintained military readiness in the region amid heightened tensions and conflicting territorial claims.