Pakistan and Afghanistan Exchange Fire and Airstrikes Amid Rising Border Tensions

Pakistan has claimed to have thwarted an “attempted Afghan aggression” along its border with Afghanistan, following a sporadic gunfight that resulted in the deaths of several Taliban fighters. Security sources in Pakistan confirmed that the exchange occurred in the Gulistan area on Friday, with reports indicating that combat remained ongoing.

No official confirmation has been issued by either Islamabad or Kabul regarding the skirmish. However, tensions had already surged earlier in the week after Pakistan launched aerial and drone strikes against ten locations in Afghanistan. Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that the attacks were a response to what he described as a “deliberate and unlawful incursion into Pakistan by drones” on Wednesday.

Tarar asserted that the military operations targeted “terrorist hideouts and support infrastructure, including drone launching and storage sites,” and released video footage purporting to show the strikes. In response, Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced that the country would deliver an “appropriate response” to the attacks, which reportedly hit Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost provinces.

Taliban officials have denied any involvement in the alleged drone operation, rejecting Islamabad’s accusation that their government launched the unmanned aircraft. The dispute stems from a deterioration in relations between the former allies, rooted in cross-border attacks by armed groups in Pakistan. Islamabad accuses the Afghan leadership of harboring militants, a claim firmly denied by Kabul, which characterizes the violence as Pakistan’s internal problem.

This escalation marks the most significant fighting between the two neighbors since February and poses a direct threat to mediation initiatives led by China, Turkiye, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, who have been working to broker a lasting peace agreement.