Violence flares between Afghanistan, Pakistan ahead of US-Iran talks

Afghanistan and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery fire on March 29, days after both sides had announced a temporary pause in fighting, escalating tensions in the volatile region as Islamabad prepares to host talks between the US and Iran.

The clashes occurred along Afghanistan’s Kunar province and the neighboring Bajur district in Pakistan, with both sides reportedly using artillery and heavy weapons, officials said, Reuters reports.

Pakistan’s fire killed at least one person and injured 16 others, mostly women and children, according to Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for Kabul’s Taliban administration.

Pakistan’s security officials said their forces responded only to heavy shelling from Afghanistan and denied targeting civilian locations. “We only retaliated against attacks on our territory,” one official said, declining to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The Pakistani military did not respond to requests for comment.

The renewed clashes follow Pakistan and Afghanistan’s worst fighting in years, which erupted last month and caused significant casualties on both sides. Kabul reported that more than 400 people were killed in a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in the Afghan capital earlier this month. Pakistan rejected the Taliban’s claims, stating the strike had “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure.”

A ceasefire had been announced for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr, also requested by Türkiye, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. However, Islamabad ended the pause last week, and Kabul has yet to confirm whether the ceasefire remains in effect from its side.

Islamabad has long accused the Afghan Taliban of harboring and supporting Islamist militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies these claims, asserting that militancy within Pakistan is a domestic issue.

The border escalation comes as Pakistan hosts regional powers for discussions on de-escalating the war in the Middle East, with the possibility of US-Iran talks in Islamabad in the coming days, raising concerns about regional stability.

By Vafa Guliyeva