The Taliban’s Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs said its forces responded to gunfire from Pakistani troops along the frontier in eastern Nangarhar province, describing the clashes as defensive, not retaliatory.
In a statement, the ministry said the Taliban forces had returned fire after coming under attack in border areas, adding that the exchange was not linked to any broader “revenge” operation.
Local sources reported that the clashes took place in the border districts of Torkham, Nazyan and Achin on Tuesday evening, where both sides used light and heavy weapons.
The Taliban’s director of information and culture in Nangarhar said no Taliban forces were killed or wounded in the fighting. Pakistani officials have not publicly commented on the incident.
The clashes occurred two days after Pakistani warplanes carried out airstrikes in parts of Paktika and Nangarhar provinces in eastern Afghanistan. According to figures released by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, 13 civilians were killed and seven others were wounded in those strikes.
Residents in Nangarhar described heightened tensions in the wake of the bombardment, though details of the damage from the subsequent ground clashes remain unclear.
“Eighteen people have been martyred. Five are wounded. Some bodies are missing,” said a local resident of Behsud district.
“All victims were civilians. They were women and children and no one had links to any group,” said another resident of Behsud.
Taliban officials had previously warned that they would respond to Pakistani military action. Critics, however, say the Taliban lack the capacity to confront Pakistan’s military directly and are using the standoff to rally domestic support.
Some critics also note that during the two decades of the former republic, Pakistan repeatedly shelled parts of Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, attacks the Taliban did not publicly condemn at the time.
The latest exchange underscores the volatility along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where airstrikes, artillery fire and armed clashes have intensified in recent weeks.
