Pakistani security forces said they killed several Afghan Taliban fighters during an exchange of fire along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Friday, marking the latest escalation in tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
According to Pakistani security sources, fighting broke out in the Gulistan border area after what Islamabad described as an attempted incursion from Afghanistan. Officials said intermittent gunfire continued during the clashes.
Neither the Pakistani government nor Afghanistan’s Taliban administration had officially confirmed the casualties at the time of reporting.
The incident comes a day after Afghanistan vowed to give an “appropriate response” to Pakistani air strikes that targeted multiple locations in Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces. Pakistan said the strikes were carried out in retaliation for drone incursions into its territory, which it blamed on militants operating from Afghanistan.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the air raids targeted what he described as terrorist hideouts and facilities used for launching and storing drones. However, Taliban officials denied allegations that Afghanistan had launched drones into Pakistan.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent months due to increasing cross-border violence. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering armed groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, while Afghanistan rejects the accusations and says Pakistan’s security challenges are internal matters.
The latest fighting has raised concerns over regional stability and could complicate ongoing mediation efforts by China, Turkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia aimed at easing tensions and promoting lasting peace between the two neighbours.
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