Taliban and Pakistani forces exchanged fire late Thursday in the border town of Spin Boldak, Kandahar province, according to local sources, marking a renewed flare-up along the contested frontier despite a recently brokered ceasefire.
Sources on the ground told Amu that the skirmish began around 5 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. CET) and involved both light and heavy weaponry. Eyewitnesses reported that Pakistani forces fired heavy artillery, and gunfire could be heard across the border zone.
The confrontation unfolded just hours after high-level Taliban and Pakistani delegations launched a third round of talks in Istanbul, Turkey — a dialogue facilitated by Qatar and Turkey aimed at easing weeks of border tension and military standoff.
This latest clash threatens to undermine a fragile ceasefire agreement reached during the second round of negotiations in late October, in which both sides pledged to avoid armed engagement along the border and agreed that violations would result in heavy penalties.
The Spin Boldak-Chaman crossing — a critical trade and transit point — has seen repeated closures and clashes in recent months, as relations between the Taliban and Islamabad have sharply deteriorated. At the heart of the dispute are Pakistani claims that the Taliban are harboring fighters from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group responsible for attacks inside Pakistan — an accusation the Taliban deny.
In early October, a week-long series of armed engagements between Taliban and Pakistani troops resulted in casualties on both sides and the temporary closure of major border crossings, severely disrupting trade and the movement of people. Those clashes prompted the first rounds of emergency talks, culminating in the ceasefire agreement.
Thursday’s incident raises questions about the effectiveness of ongoing diplomatic efforts. As of now, there are no confirmed reports of casualties from the renewed violence.
