Pakistan closed multiple border crossings with Afghanistan on Sunday following a deadly overnight exchange of fire between the two countries’ forces, amid escalating tensions and mutual accusations of provocation.
According to Pakistani officials, the closures came after Afghan troops opened fire on Pakistani border posts late Saturday. Kabul’s Ministry of Defence claimed the attack was in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes earlier in the week, which reportedly targeted militant positions inside Afghanistan.
In a statement, Afghan authorities claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers, though they did not provide evidence to support the figure. They also reported 20 Afghan troops killed or wounded in the exchange. Pakistani officials acknowledged returning fire with guns and artillery and said they had inflicted casualties on Afghan forces, but did not disclose numbers.
Both sides claimed to have destroyed each other’s border posts. Pakistani security sources released video footage purportedly showing Afghan positions being hit. The exchange of fire had largely subsided by Sunday morning, though sporadic gunfire was still reported in Pakistan’s Kurram district, according to local officials and residents.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence said its operation concluded at midnight local time. On Sunday, Kabul announced it had halted further attacks at the request of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, both of which issued statements expressing concern over the clashes.
“There is no kind of threat in any part of Afghanistan’s territory,” said Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. “The Islamic Emirate and the people of Afghanistan will defend their land and remain resolute and committed in this defence.” He added that fighting was still ongoing in some areas.
Islamabad has long accused the Taliban-led administration of sheltering militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group responsible for numerous attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has consistently denied the allegation.
As tensions escalated, Pakistan shut down its two main border crossings with Afghanistan—Torkham and Chaman—as well as three smaller crossings at Kharlachi, Angoor Adda, and Ghulam Khan. Afghan officials have not yet commented on the closures. The two countries share a 2,600-kilometre border.
A Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Thursday’s airstrikes targeted a senior TTP leader in Kabul, though it remains unclear whether the individual was killed. Islamabad has not officially confirmed the operation.
The TTP, which seeks to impose a strict Islamic system in Pakistan, has intensified its insurgency in recent years. The group’s presence in Afghanistan remains a flashpoint in the already strained relations between the two neighbours.
