At least four civilians have been killed in heavy gunfire at the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan after the collapse of peace talks involving the two countries.
The border clashes erupted between Pakistani forces and the Taliban in Afghanistan, with both sides accusing each other of breaking a ceasefire that was agreed two months ago.
Negotiations between Kabul and Islamabad aimed at easing border tensions broke down in November, but a Qatar-brokered ceasefire has nonetheless mostly held.
A medical worker in Kandahar told BBC Pashto that four bodies had been brought to a local hospital. Four other people were wounded in Afghanistan, while three people sustained injuries in Pakistan.
Mohammad Sadiq, a local Pakistani police official, claimed the shooting started from the Afghan side and that Pakistani troops returned fire near the Chaman border crossing, a key transit route. The clash forced residents in the Afghan city of Spin Boldak in Kandahar district to flee overnight.
A spokesman for Pakistan's prime minister also accused Afghan forces of "unprovoked firing" along the Chaman border. "Pakistan remains fully alert and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the safety of our citizens," spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi said in a statement.
But Afghan border police said the Pakistani forces first lobbed a hand grenade, prompting a response.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani forces launched attacks in Spin Boldak. “Unfortunately, this evening, the Pakistani side once again launched attacks on Afghanistan ... forcing the forces of the Islamic Emirate to respond,” Mujahid wrote on X.
The exchange came nearly a week after a new round of peace talks between the South Asian neighbours ended without a breakthrough, although both sides agreed to continue their fragile ceasefire.
The talks in Saudi Arabia last weekend were the latest in a series of meetings. Earlier discussions were hosted by Qatar and Turkey.
Tensions between the two neighbours who share a 1,600-mile border spiked in October with deadly clashes killing dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants, and wounded hundreds more on both sides.
The border clashes were preceded by suspected airstrikes in Kabul on 9 October. The Taliban blamed the explosions on Pakistan and vowed revenge.
The fighting is the worst between the neighbours since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021. The Qatar-mediated ceasefire eased tensions somewhat but subsequent peace talks in Istanbul failed to produce an agreement.
Pakistan blames most militant attacks inside its borders on the Pakistani Taliban, also known are Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Though separate from the Afghan Taliban, the TTP is closely allied with it, and many of its fighters are believed to have taken refuge in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over.
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