Pakistani security forces have killed several Afghan Taliban fighters in an exchange of fire along the border, according to Pakistani security sources. The incident occurred in the Gulistan area on Friday, with intermittent fighting reported to be ongoing.
This escalation follows Pakistani air strikes on Thursday targeting 10 locations in Afghanistan, which Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated were in response to a "deliberate and unlawful incursion into Pakistan by drones" on Wednesday. Tarar claimed the Pakistani aerial and drone attacks hit "terrorist hideouts and support infrastructure including drone launching and storage sites" and posted a video purportedly showing these strikes.
The Afghan government, however, denied launching drones against Pakistan and stated it would deliver an "appropriate response" to the Pakistani air strikes. Afghanistan's government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid identified Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost provinces as targets of the air raids.
These events unfold amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over attacks by armed groups in Pakistan, which led to their most severe clashes in years in February. Pakistan accuses Kabul of harboring fighters responsible for cross-border attacks, while the Afghan government denies this, asserting that the attacks are an internal Pakistani issue.
The ongoing escalation poses a threat to mediation efforts by China, Turkiye, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia aimed at fostering lasting peace between the two neighboring countries.
