Border clashes have erupted again between Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban forces, with each side accusing the other of breaking a fragile ceasefire.
Residents fled the Afghan city of Spin Boldak overnight, which lies along the 1,600-mile (2,600 km) border between the two countries.
A medical worker in the nearby city of Kandahar reported that four bodies had been brought to a local hospital, with a total of four other people injured, including three who were wounded in Pakistan.
Sporadic fighting has been reported in recent months, while Afghanistan's Taliban government has also accused Pakistan of conducting air strikes inside Afghan territory.
Both sides have confirmed they exchanged fire overnight, attributing the initiation of the four hours of fighting to the opposing party. Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesperson for Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, condemned the Taliban for what he termed unprovoked firing, stating that a strong military response was delivered.
Conversely, a Taliban spokesperson accused Pakistan of starting attacks and asserted their obligation to respond.
Eyewitness accounts detail the chaos, with Afghans fleeing on foot and by vehicle as the fighting unfolded. Ali Mohammed Haqmal, head of Kandahar's information department, indicated that Pakistan's forces attacked using both light and heavy artillery, resulting in damage to civilian homes from mortar fire.
This escalation comes less than two months after both nations agreed to a ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Turkey, which had resolved a week-long bout of violence that left dozens dead—the most severe on record since the Taliban regained control in 2021.
Pakistan has consistently accused Afghanistan of harboring armed groups that target its territory, a claim that Afghanistan denies, suggesting Pakistan deflects blame from its own security issues.
The Pakistan Taliban has reportedly executed over 600 attacks on Pakistani forces in the past year according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, indicating persistent unrest in the region.
Last week, representatives from both nations met in Saudi Arabia for further peace negotiations, but failed to reach a consensus while reaffirming their commitment to the ceasefire.
