ISLAMABAD, October 11, 2025. Heavy clashes broke out late Saturday night along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border after a series of Pakistani airstrikes near Kabul earlier in the week. Sparking a fierce exchange of gunfire and artillery between the two sides. According to security officials. Taliban fighters launched coordinated attacks on several Pakistani border posts. Prompting what Islamabad described as a “full-force” response.
Witnesses reported intense shelling at more than six locations along the 2,600-kilometer frontier. Footage released by Pakistani security personnel showed tracer fire and explosions lighting up the night sky as both sides engaged in a prolonged firefight.
Enayatullah Khowarazmi, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense, said the Taliban assault was a direct response to Pakistan’s violation of Afghan airspace. “If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s airspace, our armed forces are prepared to defend and deliver a strong response,” he said. Afghan officials said the operation concluded at midnight local time.
Pakistani sources said the earlier airstrike in Kabul had targeted the leader of the Pakistani Taliban. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), though it was unclear whether he survived. Islamabad had warned Kabul that its patience with cross-border militancy had run out. Accusing the Taliban government of sheltering TTP fighters responsible for deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegations and insists Afghan territory is not being used against any country.
The confrontation comes amid growing friction between the two neighbours and follows a rare visit to India by Afghanistan’s foreign minister earlier this week — the first since the Taliban seized power in 2021 — a move that has unsettled Pakistani officials.
Security analysts fear the border clashes could further destabilize the region. Already tense after a surge in militant violence in Pakistan. The country has witnessed a sharp rise in TTP-linked attacks over the past two years. And relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated rapidly despite several failed mediation efforts by China. Continued escalation, experts warn, could disrupt trade, deepen mistrust, and strain diplomatic ties across South and Central Asia.
