Pakistan and Afghanistan Engage in Fresh Border Clash Following Alleged "Unprovoked Fire"

A new round of clashes broke out Tuesday between Pakistani and Afghan forces along their northwestern border region. Pakistani state media reported that Afghan troops initiated "unprovoked fire," which Pakistani forces successfully repelled.

According to Pakistan Television and two security officials speaking anonymously, Pakistani forces responded to the attack, inflicting damage on Afghan tanks and military installations.

Tahir Ahrar, deputy police spokesperson for Afghanistan's Khost province, confirmed that clashes had occurred but provided no additional information.

This incident marks the second border confrontation between the two neighboring countries this week.

Pakistani state media claimed that Afghan forces, alongside Pakistani Taliban militants, opened fire on a Pakistani border post "without provocation" in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The attack reportedly prompted a "strong response" from Pakistani military forces.

Security officials reported that Pakistan's military also destroyed a large training facility used by the Pakistani Taliban during the operation.

Pakistan's military has not yet issued an official statement regarding Tuesday's clash. Forces have remained on high alert since Saturday, when significant fighting erupted across multiple border areas, resulting in numerous casualties on both sides.

Although the weekend hostilities subsided following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, all border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain closed.

During the weekend conflict, Afghan authorities stated they had targeted several Pakistani military positions and killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in retaliation for alleged repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace. Pakistan's military reported lower casualty figures, acknowledging 23 soldiers lost while claiming to have eliminated over 200 "Taliban and affiliated terrorists" in their counter-response along the frontier.

Tensions have remained elevated since last week when Afghanistan's Taliban government accused Pakistan of conducting airstrikes in Kabul and at an eastern marketplace. Pakistan has not addressed these specific allegations.

Pakistan has previously conducted military operations inside Afghanistan, targeting what it describes as hideouts of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group distinct from but allied with the Afghan Taliban.

Pakistani authorities continue to accuse Kabul of harboring the TTP, which has conducted numerous deadly attacks within Pakistan. Afghan authorities consistently deny these accusations, maintaining they do not permit their territory to be used for attacks against other nations.