Deadly Pakistan Afghanistan Border Clashes Enter Second Week

Rising Violence Along The Frontier

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached boiling point, with deadly cross-border clashes claiming dozens of lives on both sides. The violence, which erupted near the Spin Boldak crossing in southern Kandahar, has now entered its second week, threatening to destabilize an already volatile region.

The latest round of fighting began early Wednesday when Pakistan’s military accused Afghan Taliban fighters of attacking two major border posts in the country’s southwest and northwest. Islamabad said its forces repelled both assaults, killing around 20 Taliban fighters near Spin Boldak and another 30 in overnight skirmishes along the northwest border.

In return, Taliban officials in Kabul accused Pakistan of launching mortar fire that killed at least 15 civilians and wounded dozens more. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that “light and heavy weapons” were used in the attacks and that Pakistani troops had also suffered casualties.

A Cycle Of Retaliation

The border flare-up follows a series of deadly explosions in Afghanistan last weekincluding two in Kabulthat Afghan officials blamed on Pakistan. The Taliban government responded with a military operation along the southern border, vowing to defend Afghan sovereignty.

Pakistan, meanwhile, maintains that Afghanistan continues to harbour militant groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it accuses of orchestrating attacks on its soldiers. Kabul has repeatedly denied these claims.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Pakistan’s parliament that efforts to persuade the Afghan Taliban to cut ties with the TTP had failed, deepening mistrust between the neighbours.

Civilians Trapped In The Crossfire

Residents along the border are bearing the brunt of the violence. Sadiq, a resident of Spin Boldak, described waking up to gunfire at 4:00 am. “Houses were fired upon, including my cousin’s. His son and wife were killed, and four of his children were wounded,” he told AFP.

On the Pakistani side, in the town of Chaman, families reported “total chaos” as the fighting raged before dawn. “Our children and women were terrified and began screaming,” said 51-year-old resident Raaz Muhammad.

Shops have shuttered, roads are blocked, and thousands have fled in search of safety.

Growing Regional Tensions

In a separate incident, seven Pakistani frontier troops were killed in an attack on a checkpoint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. A relatively new militant outfit, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the assault, fuelling concerns of a broader insurgency revival.

The recent explosions in Kabul occurred while the Taliban’s top diplomat was on a visit to IndiaPakistan’s arch-rivaladding another layer of geopolitical complexity.

As accusations fly and border violence escalates, hopes for calm appear distant. For residents caught between two nations’ power struggles, the latest clashes are a painful reminder of how fragile peace remains along the world’s most volatile borders.

{Source:EWN}

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