Cross-Border Clashes Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Leave Five Civilians Dead

By Staff, Agencies

At least five civilians were killed and six others wounded in a brief cross-border exchange of fire between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Thursday, according to an Afghan hospital official, raising fears that the incident could derail ongoing ceasefire talks in Turkey.

An official at Spin Boldak district hospital in southern Kandahar province said the dead included four women and one man, while six others were injured. No casualties were immediately reported on the Pakistani side.

Both countries traded blame over who started the shooting.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on X that “while the third round of negotiations with the Pakistani side has begun in Istanbul, unfortunately, this afternoon Pakistani forces once again opened fire on Spin Boldak.”

He added that Afghan forces did not retaliate “out of respect for the negotiation team and to prevent civilian casualties.”

Islamabad denied the accusation, with the Pakistani Information Ministry stating that “firing was initiated from the Afghan side, to which our security forces responded immediately in a measured and responsible manner.”

The renewed border tension comes as both sides engage in fragile peace talks aimed at preventing further escalation along the volatile frontier, where sporadic clashes have already displaced hundreds of civilians in recent months.