Five people were killed and six wounded on Thursday in brief cross-border fire between Afghanistan and Pakistan, officials said, as both sides traded blame for the deadly clash.
The exchange erupted near Spin Boldak in southern Kandahar province, coinciding with delicate ceasefire negotiations underway in Istanbul aimed at ending months of border violence.
An Afghan hospital official told AFP that the victims included four women and one man, with several others treated for injuries. Pakistan reported no casualties on its side.
Each government swiftly accused the other of provoking the incident. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed Pakistani forces opened fire while talks were ongoing, adding that Afghan troops had “shown restraint to avoid civilian harm.”
Islamabad rejected the allegation, insisting Afghan forces had initiated the attack. Pakistan’s Information Ministry said its troops responded “in a measured and responsible manner,” asserting that calm was later restored.
The flare-up comes as negotiators in Turkey struggle to finalise a truce after weeks of tension along the volatile border. The Taliban administration maintains that Pakistan frequently targets civilian areas, while Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), responsible for cross-border assaults.
Local residents said Thursday’s gunfire lasted about 15 minutes before subsiding. Afghan officials described the situation as “brief but dangerous,” with uncertainty hanging over the future of the fragile ceasefire.
Pakistan said it remains “committed to dialogue” but expects “reciprocity” from Kabul. Yet, talks have reached an impasse, with both parties warning that failure could reignite hostilities.
Turkey, hosting the negotiations, said last week that both sides had agreed to set up a monitoring mechanism to uphold peace — a fragile hope now overshadowed by renewed bloodshed.
