Relations between former allies Afghanistan and Pakistan have deteriorated since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Tensions between the South Asian neighbors have escalated as peace talks in Saudi Arabia failed to achieve a breakthrough, with Afghan and Pakistani troops engaging in fierce fighting on the border.

Officials on both sides said the skirmishes broke out late Friday night, with each country accusing the other of firing first.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Afghan Taliban government, said in a post on

A spokesman for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Afghan forces carried out “unprovoked firing” on the Chaman border.

“Pakistan remains highly vigilant and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the safety of its citizens,” spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi said in a statement.

Unfortunately, tonight Pakistan launched another attack on Afghanistan in the Pinboldak area of ​​Kandahar, prompting a response from the Islamic Emirate’s forces.

— Zabehulah (@Zabehulah_M33) December 5, 2025

Residents on the Afghan side of the border told AFP that the exchange of fire broke out around 10:30 pm local time (18:00 GMT) and lasted about two hours.

Ali Mohammad Haqmal, the head of Kandahar’s press department, told AFP that Pakistani forces used “light and heavy artillery” in the attack and that mortar fire hit civilian houses.

“The conflict has ended and both sides have agreed to stop,” he added.

There were no immediate reports of casualties on either side.

Tensions

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have soured since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, largely due to Islamabad’s accusations that Kabul provides sanctuary to several armed groups, including the Taliban in Pakistan (TTP).

The TTP has waged an ongoing campaign against the Pakistani government since 2007 and is often described as the ideological twin of the Afghan Taliban. Recently, Wednesday, roadside explosion The TTP claimed to have killed three Pakistani policemen in Pakistan near the Afghan border.

Pakistan also accuses Afghanistan of harboring the Baluchistan Liberation Army and the local Islamic State/Islamic State offshoot ISKP – even though ISKP is a sworn enemy of the Afghan Taliban.

The Afghan Taliban denies the accusations, saying it cannot be responsible for security inside Pakistan and accusing Islamabad of deliberately spreading misinformation and stoking border tensions.

In October, a week of deadly fighting erupted along the two countries’ shared border after Islamabad asked Kabul to stop militants from stepping up attacks in Pakistan.

Before Afghan and Pakistani officials signed the deal, about 70 people were killed and hundreds injured on both sides of the border. ceasefire agreement October 19 in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

However, since the deal was struck, Qatar, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia hosted a series of unsuccessful talks aimed at solidifying a long-term truce.

The latest round of talks in Saudi Arabia over the weekend failed to produce a breakthrough, although both sides agreed to continue a fragile ceasefire.

Despite the truce, Kabul has accused its neighbor of carrying out numerous air strikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces in recent weeks.

The Pakistani military reportedly launched an attack on a house in Afghanistan’s southeastern Khost province in late November Killed nine children and one woman. Pakistan denies carrying out any such attack.