Two Afghan citizens were killed and four more sustained injuries in a shooting by Pakistani border forces at the Afghan-Pakistani border in Zabul province, according to sources.
The victims, reportedly civilians attempting to enter Pakistan, faced gunfire in Shamalzoi district, sources added.
While the Taliban has not issued a response, social media footage suggests that Taliban helicopters are involved in transporting the injured and deceased. The injured individuals are reported to be in critical condition.
Political experts attribute the escalating tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan to adversely impacting Afghan immigrants and cross-border movements.
Analyst Wahid Fakiri notes the influence of political complexities, suggesting that the presence of many Taliban families in Pakistan, coupled with legal challenges against the Taliban in the country, creates apprehension among the group. Fakiri highlighted the Taliban’s desire to avoid entanglements with neighbors due to isolation on the global stage.
Political affairs analyst Azizuddin Maaraj emphasized the responsibility of the ruling system to defend its nationals, honor, and privacy in the face of foreign interventions. He contended that silence in such circumstances suggests subservience and compromises the country’s freedom, privacy, and independence.
Despite the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry expressing intentions to improve relations with neighboring countries, the Ministry of Interior’s statistics indicate nearly fifty instances of border tensions, particularly with Iran and Pakistan, over the past two years.
