Five individuals lost their lives, and six others sustained injuries during a brief exchange of gunfire at the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Thursday afternoon, as confirmed by a hospital official in Afghanistan. Both countries pointed fingers at each other for the incident, which is likely to complicate ongoing ceasefire discussions in Turkey aimed at resolving deadly confrontations between them.
The core of their conflict revolves around security matters, with Islamabad alleging that Kabul shelters militant factions, specifically the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), responsible for attacks in Pakistan. The Taliban-led government refutes these claims.
An unnamed official at the Spin Boldak district hospital in Kandahar province disclosed that “five people, including four women and one man, lost their lives in today’s incident, while six others sustained injuries.” No immediate reports of casualties from the Pakistani side surfaced, with both nations swiftly accusing each other of instigating the gunfire.
As negotiations with Pakistan were in progress in Istanbul, a spokesperson for the Taliban government, Zabihullah Mujahid, lamented, “While the third round of talks with the Pakistani side is ongoing in Istanbul, unfortunately, Pakistani forces once again opened fire on Spin Boldak this afternoon.” The officials emphasized that, so far, the Islamic Emirate’s forces had refrained from retaliating to respect the negotiation process and prevent harm to civilians.
Pakistan refuted the allegations and shifted the blame to Afghanistan, stating, “We categorically reject the claims made by the Afghan side. The firing originated from the Afghan side, prompting our security forces to respond promptly and prudently.”
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban authorities, expressed uncertainty about the motive behind the Pakistani gunfire, highlighting that discussions in Turkey were still underway.
An Afghan military source who wished to remain anonymous disclosed, “Pakistan deployed both light and heavy weapons, targeting civilian zones.” Kandahar’s information department head, Ali Mohammed Haqmal, mentioned that the gunfire was of short duration, lasting approximately 10-15 minutes. Pakistan confirmed that peace was restored following the incident.
“The situation was swiftly brought under control through the responsible actions of Pakistani forces, and the ceasefire remains in place,” affirmed the information ministry. “Pakistan remains committed to the ongoing dialogue and anticipates a reciprocal approach from Afghan authorities.”
In Istanbul, negotiations hit a stalemate last week as both sides accused each other of reluctance to collaborate on finalizing ceasefire terms.