Provided to KabulNow

Border Tensions Flare as Taliban and Pakistani Forces Clash in Kandahar

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A clash between Taliban forces and the Pakistani military erupted today in Kandahar’s Shorabak district, according to local sources. The fighting began around 11:00 AM in the Noshki and Kaznali areas along the Afghan-Pakistani border.

A security source stated that the conflict started when Pakistani troops fired on Taliban militants who were attempting to build a checkpoint. The clashes are ongoing, with the Taliban sending reinforcements from their 205th Al-Badr Corps to the border.

Taliban officials in Kandahar confirmed the skirmish, reporting that unofficial border routes have been closed due to the conflict.

This is not the first time tensions have escalated along the border. Previous Taliban attempts to establish checkpoints along the disputed Durand Line have sparked similar clashes with Pakistani forces.

Last month, a border clash between Afghanistan’s Khost province and Pakistan’s Kurram district resulted in the deaths of at least 16 Taliban fighters and left 27 others injured.

Since the Taliban’s return to power three years ago, tensions between Kabul and Islamabad have grown, exacerbated by increased cross-border attacks and frequent border skirmishes.

Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in deadly attacks by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targeting both security forces and civilians. A 2023 report by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) revealed a 65% spike in terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan, with the TTP being the primary perpetrators.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of harboring TTP militants inside Afghanistan—an allegation the Taliban denies.