KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local sources in eastern Nangarhar province report that the Torkham border crossing has been closed following a clash erupted between Taliban and Pakistani forces.
Speaking with KabulNow today, the sources said the clashes began on Monday, August 12, and continued for several hours. Initially, they heard light weapon fire, but both sides later used heavy weapons, including artillery, to target each other’s military positions.
The exchange resulted in the closure of the border for all types of movement, according to sources.
In a post on X, Abdul Matin Qani, spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Interior, claimed that Pakistani forces initiated the clash by firing on Taliban border forces, who then responded.
According to Qani, three civilians, including a woman and two children, were killed on the Afghan side as a result of the clash.
Pakistani news outlets, however, reported that the exchange of fire began after the Pakistani side objected to the Taliban’s construction of a “controversial checkpoint” near the border.
According to the Pakistani newspaper DAWN, Pakistani forces fired shots into the air to warn the Taliban against constructing the post just a few meters from the dividing line.
The report indicates that the Taliban then retaliated with light and heavy weapons, leading to the evacuation of people from the nearby area and the closure of borders, marketplaces, and government offices.
Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan three years ago, similar armed clashes—often resulting in casualties—have frequently occurred between Taliban and Pakistani border forces.
Last September, an armed clash between the Taliban and Pakistani border forces near the Torkham border resulted in the deaths of at least eight people, including members of both the Taliban and Pakistani forces, and left 20 others wounded.
Border hostilities have led to the temporary closure of Torkham, the main transit point for travelers and goods between the two neighboring countries.
