Spin Boldak: Fresh clashes have erupted along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with both sides trading blame for breaking a fragile ceasefire agreed less than two months ago.
Overnight fighting around the Afghan border city of Spin Boldak sent residents fleeing on foot and in vehicles, as the four-hour exchange intensified fears of a broader escalation. A medical official in Kandahar confirmed that a local hospital received the bodies of four people, though it remains unclear whether casualties were also reported on the Pakistani side.
Both governments acknowledged the exchange of fire but offered sharply conflicting narratives. Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi accused Afghan Taliban forces of unprovoked firing, saying the military had delivered an immediate, befitting & intense response to protect the country’s territorial integrity and citizens.
The Taliban, meanwhile, rejected Pakistan’s version, claiming Islamabad had once again initiated attacks, leaving them with no choice but to retaliate.
The clashes come with persistent mistrust. Islamabad accuses Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban of sheltering militant groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies, instead accusing Pakistan of masking its own security failures.
The violence threatens progress from recent negotiations, last week, delegations from both sides met in Saudi Arabia for the fourth round of talks on a broader peace framework. While they failed to reach a breakthrough, both sides had agreed to uphold the ceasefire.
With footage showing families fleeing border towns in fear, concerns are mounting that the already fragile calm between the neighbours may further unravel.
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