Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Tensions Flare Again as Civilian Casualties Reported

(MENAFN) Pakistan has accused Afghan border forces of carrying out attacks on civilians during renewed border clashes, saying at least nine people were killed and 15 others injured over the past two days, according to Pakistan’s information minister.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Attaullah Tarar said that among the dead were women and children. He added that 12 civilians were wounded on Thursday in what he described as the “unprovoked and criminal targeting of civilians” in the Bajaur tribal district in northwestern Pakistan.

He further stated that on Friday, three civilians were injured while playing cricket in what he called a “blatant and shameless” quadcopter strike attributed to “Fitna Al Khwarij.” Islamabad uses this term to refer to militants linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it claims operate with support from Kabul.

No immediate response came from Afghan authorities regarding these allegations. Kabul has previously denied accusations of backing the TTP.

Tensions had already escalated earlier in the week, when Afghanistan reported that at least four civilians were killed and around 70 people, including 30 students, were injured in a missile strike it attributed to Pakistan in Kunar province. Afghan officials claimed residential areas and a university were hit in the alleged attack.

Rejecting those claims, Tarar described them as “frivolous,” insisting that Pakistan only targets militant positions and infrastructure and takes precautions to avoid civilian harm.

The reports from both sides have not been independently verified.

The two countries have experienced repeated border violence, including major clashes in March that resulted in hundreds of deaths among civilians and fighters on both sides. That escalation ended after a ceasefire agreement was reached on March 18, just before Eid al-Fitr, with mediation efforts reportedly involving Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

Following the ceasefire, officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan also held week-long discussions in Urumqi, China, facilitated by Beijing. According to statements from Chinese officials, both sides agreed to work on a broader framework aimed at addressing the issues affecting bilateral relations.

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