Pakistan and Afghanistan Clash in Deadliest Border Fighting Yet
Pakistani and Afghan forces have launched multiple cross-border strikes in relentless clashes, with each side claiming to have killed dozens of the other's troops. This marks the deadliest fighting to date between the two neighbouring nations, escalating into what Islamabad has declared an "open war." The conflict, now in its ninth day, continues unabated despite repeated international appeals for restraint.
Military Claims and Counterclaims
In Afghanistan, the Taliban-run government's Defense Ministry stated that its forces "destroyed numerous Pakistani military posts" along the border in provinces including Nangarhar, Kandahar, Kunar, Paktia, and Khost, resulting in dozens of Pakistani soldier fatalities. Conversely, Pakistani state-run media reported that the country's air force and ground troops inflicted heavy losses in latest strikes targeting Afghan forces and the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban government in Kabul of harbouring the TTP, a charge Afghanistan denies. Since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the TTP has intensified its attacks within Pakistan. Pakistan asserts that its military operations, initiated last week, will persist until Afghanistan takes verifiable steps to rein in the TTP and other militants operating from its territory.
Civilian Impact and Casualty Discrepancies
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has urged an immediate halt to the fighting, warning that it exacerbates Afghanistan's already grave humanitarian situation. On Friday, UNAMA reported via social media that at least 56 civilians have been killed inside Afghanistan so far. Additionally, several people were injured when Afghan mortar shells landed in a village in Mohmand district, northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to local official Mohammad Asif.
Casualty claims have varied widely, with Afghanistan stating this week that its forces killed 150 Pakistani soldiers since the fighting began, while losing 28 Afghan troops. On Friday, Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claimed on social media that Pakistan's military has killed 527 Afghan soldiers. The border region, where militant groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State are also active, remains largely inaccessible to media, making independent verification of these conflicting reports challenging.
International Mediation Efforts
It remains uncertain whether efforts by other Muslim nations will bring Kabul and Islamabad to the negotiating table soon. On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to mediate a new ceasefire in a call with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The following day, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke with Afghanistan's Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, as confirmed by Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
The ongoing clashes have ended an earlier ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey in October, when the two neighbours had again neared war. That truce, signed in Qatar, was followed by six days of talks in Istanbul, resulting in an agreement to extend the ceasefire and hold a third round of negotiations in November. The current escalation underscores the fragile nature of regional stability and the urgent need for diplomatic resolution.
