At least five people were killed and several others wounded in a deadly border clash between Taliban and Pakistani forces at the Spin Boldak crossing in southern Kandahar province on Thursday, local sources told Amu.
The incident disrupted the movement of migrants and transport at one of the most critical trade and transit points between the two countries, now closed for nearly a month amid escalating tensions.
Both sides traded blame for the violence, which erupted late Thursday afternoon. Residents reported heavy gunfire and use of light and heavy weapons during the exchange. Some eyewitnesses claimed that Pakistani fighter jets bombed areas inside Afghan territory.
The Taliban accused Pakistani forces of initiating the attack despite ongoing peace talks in Istanbul. “While the third round of talks with the Pakistani side is underway in Istanbul, unfortunately, Pakistani forces once again opened fire on Spin Boldak district in Kandahar, creating panic among the public,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, however, denied that its troops initiated the fighting, stating that the firing began from the Afghan side. “We strongly reject the Afghan side’s claims about today’s incident at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman. The firing was initiated from across the border and our security forces responded in a measured and responsible manner,” the ministry said in a statement.
Agence France-Presse reported that at least six people were wounded in the clashes.
The clash comes amid ongoing high-level talks in Turkey between Taliban and Pakistani delegations, aimed at easing mounting border tensions. The talks, brokered by Turkey and Qatar, were meant to uphold a ceasefire agreed upon during the second round of negotiations.
Spin Boldak is one of five key border crossings between the two countries, all of which have been effectively closed to trade and civilian movement for the past 27 days. The border remains intermittently open to facilitate the return of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, but the security situation has made even those operations unpredictable.
Drivers stranded on both sides of the border say they have been waiting for days to cross, facing mounting frustration and financial losses.
Thursday’s incident is the latest flare-up in a series of clashes that have worsened relations between the Taliban and Pakistan.
