Dozens of soldiers and civilians have lost their lives due to renewed border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as reported by authorities on both sides. This escalation has entered its second week following a series of explosions in Afghanistan last week, two of which occurred in Kabul. The Pakistani military has accused Afghanistan of targeting two border posts in the southwest and northwest regions of Pakistan. A statement from the military conveyed concern over the attacks being carried out in areas with civilian populations, resulting in significant risks for non-combatants. The military noted that 20 Afghan soldiers were killed in attacks near Spin Boldak on the Afghan side of the border in Kandahar province on Wednesday morning, while an additional 30 are believed to have died in nighttime skirmishes along Pakistan’s northwestern border.
Meanwhile, Afghan authorities have reported that 15 civilians were killed and dozens more injured in confrontations near Spin Boldak, with claims that two or three of their fighters also died. Ali Mohammad Hakmal, the spokesperson for the Afghan media department in Spin Boldak, stated that the civilian casualties were the result of mortar shells. Abduljan Barak, a representative from the Spin Boldak hospital, confirmed the reported fatalities, adding that over 80 women and children suffered injuries.
The Afghan government’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, accused the Pakistani forces of launching fresh assaults using both light and heavy weaponry in the region. Mujahid claimed in a statement that around 100 civilians were wounded, but noted that calm had returned to the area following the deaths of Pakistani soldiers and the seizing of weaponry. However, the Pakistani military dismissed these assertions as outright fabrications. While Pakistan has not disclosed its casualty figures in the recent clashes, it reported last week that 23 of its soldiers had died in earlier encounters.
A local resident named Sadiq recounted that the fighting erupted around 4 AM. He relayed to a news agency that gunfire was directed at homes, including his relative’s house, where his son and wife were killed, and four of his children sustained injuries. Business activities in the area came to a halt as many residents fled, according to reports from the scene. In the Pakistani town of Chaman, a local resident described the pre-dawn skirmishes as chaotic. Raz Muhammad, speaking via telephone, conveyed that children and women were terrified and began to scream, stating that they were unaware of what was happening.
In a separate incident, a senior security official in Peshawar of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province reported that seven border guard soldiers were killed when their checkpoint was attacked. A relatively new armed group claimed responsibility for this attack. Last Thursday, Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, informed the parliament that extensive efforts to persuade Afghan authorities to cease support for the Pakistani Taliban had been unsuccessful.