KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A Taliban member has been killed in clashes with Pakistani security forces near the border in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province, local sources said on Friday, marking the latest incident along the disputed frontier.
The Taliban member, identified as Zarin Khan from Laghman province, was killed in Kunar’s Nari district during overnight fighting that began on Thursday and continued intermittently until Friday morning, the sources said.
According to sources, the clash erupted after Pakistani forces attempted to build a border fence in the area, which Taliban fighters tried to block. They said Taliban authorities claimed Pakistani forces also suffered casualties, though Islamabad has not confirmed this.
Another clash reportedly took place around midday Friday in the Dangam district of Kunar, but details remain unclear, and no casualties have been reported.
Neither the Taliban authorities nor Pakistani officials have issued public statements regarding the incidents.
Tensions along the Durand Line, the disputed border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, have flared repeatedly in recent years. Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, cross-border incidents have become more frequent, often triggered by Pakistan’s efforts to construct border posts or fencing, moves that the Taliban oppose.
Previous clashes have been deadlier. In June this year, at least two Taliban members were killed during similar fighting in Kunar. In September 2024, a large-scale clash in Khost province left at least 16 Taliban fighters dead and 27 others wounded, according to local reports.
The presence of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters inside Afghanistan has added to tensions between the two sides. Pakistani officials accuse the Taliban of providing sanctuary to TTP leaders and fighters, allowing them to regroup, train, and plan cross-border attacks. The Taliban have consistently denied these allegations, saying Afghan territory is not used for attacks on other countries.
