Afghanistan and Pakistan exchanged their deadliest fire in years
Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have flared in recent days with the exchange of deadly gunfire between the neighbors that has stoked fears of a wider conflict. The fighting followed strikes in the Afghan capital Kabul and the border province of Paktika last Thursday that the Taliban blamed on Pakistan, though Islamabad has not officially acknowledged the attacks.
The latest flare-up coincided with a historic trip by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Pakistan’s rival India, triggering concern in Islamabad. Experts warn these latest attacks could signal a new era of instability for the neighbors, who have maintained steady and strategic relations for years despite frequent skirmishes along their disputed border. Here’s what we know about the violence, which prompted calls to de-escalate from China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and an offer from US President Donald Trump to broker peace.
Sharpest escalation in years
The Taliban accused Pakistan of conducting an “unprecedented, violent and reprehensible” attack on targets in Kabul and Patika on Thursday night. Islamabad has not officially claimed responsibility for the attacks. But during a press briefing Friday, Lt. Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, a Pakistani military official, said there is “evidence” that “Afghanistan is being used as a base of operations for carrying out terrorism in Pakistan.” Pakistan has long accused Kabul of harboring the militant group the Pakistani Taliban (known as the TTP), which Afghanistan’s Taliban denies. Pakistan has faced a surge in Islamist violence since the Taliban swept Kabul in 2021, emboldening militant groups.
On Saturday night, the Taliban launched what it said were retaliatory attacks against Pakistani forces in various areas near the Kunar and Nangarhar border provinces. Pakistan responded to the attack, which it called “unprovoked,” by conducting strikes and physical raids against Taliban camps and posts and terrorist training facilities and support networks in Afghanistan, according to a statement by the military.
