KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – At least seven Afghan migrants were shot dead by Pakistani border forces on Monday while attempting to enter Pakistan from southern Helmand province, local sources reported.
According to the sources, the incident occurred in the Bahramcha border area of Helmand province in the afternoon. The victims were reportedly young men from different districts of the province who were trying to reach Pakistan in search of work. Their identities have not yet been confirmed.
Neither Taliban authorities in Helmand nor Pakistani officials have commented on the killings.
Local sources said that despite the dangers, many Afghans continue to use informal crossings like Bahramcha to travel to Pakistan for work, medical care, or to escape economic hardship. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghanistan’s economy has sharply declined, leaving millions unemployed and pushing migration toward neighboring countries, even amid increased crackdowns there.
The incident comes after deadly clashes last week between Taliban and Pakistani forces along the border, triggered when Taliban fighters opened fire on Pakistani border posts. The Taliban Ministry of Defense described the attack as retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan. Islamabad said it responded with artillery and small-arms fire.
Pakistan’s military reported that 23 soldiers were killed and 29 others wounded during the fighting, while its retaliatory strikes killed more than 200 Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters.
Border clashes have kept key crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan closed for a third consecutive day, disrupting travel and trade. Sources in the area say hundreds of people, including those seeking medical treatment in Pakistan, as well as dozens of trucks carrying goods, remain stranded on both sides.
Regional countries, including China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, have called on Islamabad and the Taliban to reduce tensions and settle disputes through dialogue.
Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban government have worsened in recent weeks over the issue of TTP, a militant group with ideological and operational ties to the Afghan Taliban and responsible for dozens of deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Islamabad believes the Taliban provide shelter to TTP leaders and fighters in Afghanistan, where they plan cross-border attacks. The Taliban authorities in Kabul deny the allegations, saying they do not allow any group to use Afghan territory against other nations.
