Heavy Firing on Afghanistan–Pakistan Border Leaves 5 Dead; Peace Talks in Turkey Affected

Published on: 07 Nov 2025 at 08:31 AM

Published by: Gill Bikram

Heavy Firing on Afghanistan–Pakistan Border Leaves 5 Dead; Peace Talks in Turkey Affected

Summary: Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of sheltering militant groups like the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which carry out attacks on Pakistani soil. Afghanistan denies these claims.

At least five people were killed and six others injured on Thursday in heavy gunfire along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. The incident took place in Spin Boldak district of southern Kandahar province. Both countries accused each other of initiating the firing. The clash occurred at a sensitive time, as ceasefire negotiations between the two nations were in their final phase in Turkey. These talks were aimed at reducing recent border tensions and preventing repeated skirmishes.

Root of the Dispute: Security Concerns and Terror Allegations

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban government in Kabul of providing shelter to militant groups like TTP, which, according to Pakistan, plan and execute terrorist attacks inside its territory. However, the Taliban administration has consistently denied these allegations.

A medical officer at the Spin Boldak district hospital confirmed that Thursday’s firing resulted in the deaths of five civilians — four women and one man — and left six others injured. Information regarding casualties on the Pakistani side was not immediately available.

Conflicting Claims From Both Governments

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban government, claimed that Pakistani forces fired on Spin Boldak even while peace discussions were underway in Turkey. He added that the Taliban forces refrained from retaliating in order to avoid civilian casualties and to honor the ongoing negotiations.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information dismissed these claims, stating:

“We strongly reject the false allegations by the Afghan side. The firing was initiated from Afghanistan, to which our forces responded with restraint and responsibility.”

Pakistan Says Situation Under Control

Afghanistan’s deputy spokesperson Hamidullah Fitrat alleged that Pakistan had targeted civilian areas with both light and heavy weapons, though the exchange of fire lasted only about 10–15 minutes. Pakistan, on the other hand, claimed that the situation had been brought under control and that the ceasefire remains in effect.

The Pakistani Information Ministry added that Pakistan remains committed to dialogue and expects the same approach from the Afghan side.

Impact on Talks in Turkey

Negotiations held last week in Istanbul had failed to produce a final ceasefire agreement. Both sides blamed each other for lack of cooperation and warned that the failure could lead to renewed fighting.

Turkey had announced that both delegations agreed in principle to establish a monitoring and verification mechanism to maintain peace and punish ceasefire violators.

Recent Violence in the Region

According to a United Nations report, clashes along the Afghan border in October resulted in the deaths of at least 50 civilians and injuries to 447 more. Separate explosions in Kabul during the same period killed at least five people. The Pakistani military also reported that 23 of its soldiers were killed and 29 injured in the same timeframe, though it did not detail civilian casualties.