KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Afghanistan’s state broadcaster, Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), which is currently under Taliban control, has reported fresh clashes between Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards in southern Afghanistan.
According to RTA, the latest fighting began in the “Darwaza Sarjangala” area of Shamalzai district in Zabul Province. No further details have yet been released.
The clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan have been ongoing since Thursday night, with Pakistan reportedly carrying out air and rocket strikes on multiple areas inside Afghanistan.
UN Rights Expert Voices Concern
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, expressed alarm over the civilian toll in the ongoing hostilities.
In a statement on Wednesday (4 March), referring to UNAMA’s findings, Bennett said the escalation of hostilities along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border has led to significant civilian casualties and displacement.
“Echoing @UNAMAnews deep concerns about escalating hostilities along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border that have caused significant civilian casualties and displacement. Parties must exercise maximum restraint and fully respect IHRL and IHL. Dialogue is the only sustainable path.”
Russia Also Calls for Dialogue
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, said during a press briefing on Wednesday (4 March) that Moscow is deeply concerned about the ongoing clashes.
“The ongoing clashes along the Afghan-Pakistani border are a cause for great concern. We call on Kabul and Islamabad to refrain from confrontation and resolve differences through mutually respectful dialogue,” said Zakharova.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said earlier today that 42 civilians have been killed, 104 wounded, and more than 16,000 families displaced as a result of Pakistani attacks in Afghanistan.
However, the Taliban have put the death toll significantly higher, claiming that 110 civilians — most of them women and children — have been killed and 123 others injured in the strikes.
Regional states, including Iran, China, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, and others such as the United Kingdom and the United Nations, have urged both sides to halt hostilities and resolve disputes through dialogue. Some of these countries have offered to mediate in an effort to ease tensions between the two neighbors.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban, once allies, have grown since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering Pakistani Taliban (TTP) fighters and providing training and weapons for cross-border attacks. The Taliban deny the allegations.
