Intense fighting erupted overnight between Pakistani security forces and Taliban militants along the border, resulting in numerous casualties on both sides. The fresh escalation underscores the fragile truce and rising tensions between the two neighbours, once allies now locked in deadly conflict.

In Kandahar’s Spin Boldak district, Pakistani troops opened fire using “light and heavy weapons,” according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. He claimed over 12 civilians were killed and more than 100 were wounded. “Afghan forces were forced to take retaliatory action,” he added.

Mujahid also asserted his fighters struck back hard killing many Pakistani soldiers and capturing weapons and even a tank. A video circulating online showed Taliban fighters aboard a captured T‑55 tank, said to have been seized from Pakistani forces.

Pakistan’s military dismissed the allegations and countered that Taliban units had attacked border posts in the Orakzai and Chaman sectors. They claimed to have repelled these attacks, killing scores of insurgents. Pakistan also reported that airstrikes were conducted in Kandahar in response to militant assaults.

The conflict has taken a heavy toll on civilians. Pakistani officials reported injuries in Chaman, while in Orakzai, six paramilitary personnel died in clashes. Thousands of families fled border areas as the violence displaced them and border crossings remained sealed.

Diplomatic relations have collapsed further: Kabul denied visas to Pakistan’s defence minister, ISI chief, and other senior officials. In response, Islamabad suspended all bilateral ties and called on Qatar and Saudi Arabia to mediate the standoff.

This flare-up represents the most serious border crisis since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. The skirmishes come a week after Pakistan struck alleged TTP camps in Kabul, intensifying Kabul‑Islamabad hostility. The violence also coincides with the Taliban foreign minister’s visit to India, escalating regional anxieties.