Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Conflict Escalates Following Failed Peace Negotiations

Pakistan and Afghanistan engaged in intense firing across their border on Friday evening, according to officials from both nations.

The border skirmish occurred amid escalating tensions following unsuccessful peace negotiations earlier in the week. No casualties were immediately reported from either side.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, stated that Pakistani forces initiated attacks in Kandahar province's Spin Boldak district. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Prime Minister's spokesman countered by accusing Afghan forces of "unprovoked firing" near the Chaman border.

"Pakistan remains fully alert and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the safety of our citizens," spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi declared in an official statement.

This exchange of fire took place just two days after a new round of peace discussions between the neighboring countries concluded without resolution, though both parties agreed to maintain their tenuous ceasefire.

The recent talks, hosted in Saudi Arabia last weekend, were part of an ongoing series of diplomatic meetings facilitated by Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, all aimed at reducing tensions following deadly border conflicts in October.

At the core of the dispute, Islamabad alleges that militants based in Afghanistan have perpetrated recent attacks within Pakistan, including suicide bombings involving Afghan nationals. Kabul firmly denies these allegations, asserting that it cannot be held accountable for security issues inside Pakistan's borders.

The October clashes resulted in dozens of fatalities, marking the most severe violence along the border since the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan in 2021.