5 Killed in Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Clashes Amid Truce Talks

Tensions flared once again along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border on Thursday, leaving five people dead and six others injured, as both sides accused each other of opening fire. The renewed violence has cast a shadow over the ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Turkey aimed at ending weeks of deadly cross-border fighting between the two South Asian neighbours.

According to officials from Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, the casualties included four women and one man. The incident occurred in Spin Boldak district, a volatile area that has repeatedly witnessed exchanges of fire between Afghan and Pakistani security forces.

“The firing today claimed five lives and left six others wounded,” an official at Spin Boldak district hospital confirmed. Residents in the area reported that the gunfire lasted for about 10 to 15 minutes before calm was restored.

Both Sides Trade Blame

The Afghan government blamed Pakistan for initiating the attack, stating that it occurred even as peace talks were underway in Istanbul.
“While the third round of negotiations with Pakistan has begun in Istanbul, Pakistani forces once again opened fire on Spin Boldak,” said Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, adding that Afghan forces refrained from retaliating to avoid civilian casualties.

Pakistan, however, denied the allegation and claimed the firing was started from the Afghan side.
“We strongly reject the claims made by Afghan authorities. Firing was initiated from the Afghan side, to which our security forces responded responsibly,” Pakistan’s Information Ministry said in a statement.

Ceasefire Talks Hit a Stalemate

Negotiations in Istanbul have been ongoing but have reached an impasse. Both sides accuse each other of failing to cooperate on finalising ceasefire terms.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban administration, said talks were still in progress but admitted uncertainty over the cause of the Pakistani firing.

Host nation Turkey confirmed last week that the parties had agreed to form a joint monitoring and verification mechanism to maintain peace and penalise future violations. However, the recent outbreak of violence may hinder those efforts.

Heavy Civilian Toll

The United Nations previously reported that at least 50 Afghan civilians were killed and nearly 450 injured during a week of clashes in October. On the Pakistani side, military sources confirmed 23 soldiers killed and 29 others wounded during the same period.

The latest incident underscores the fragility of the situation along the border, where unresolved territorial and security disputes continue to fuel mistrust. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which frequently launches attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban government has denied these claims, calling for respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

As negotiations continue in Turkey, both countries are under growing international pressure to maintain restraint and work towards a lasting peace agreement that prevents further bloodshed.