Friday, 07 November, 2025
Afghan and Pakistani forces briefly exchanged gunfire along their shared border on Thursday, officials from both countries confirmed, coinciding with the resumption of peace talks in Istanbul aimed at ending long-standing tensions.
Each side accused the other of initiating the skirmish near Spin Boldak, a border town in southern Afghanistan along the 2,600-kilometre (1,600-mile) frontier.
No casualties were reported, and representatives from both nations emphasised that they remained committed to maintaining the ceasefire and pursuing dialogue during the ongoing Istanbul negotiations.
Militaries from the South Asian neighbours previously clashed last month, with dozens killed in the worst such violence since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.
Both sides signed a ceasefire in Doha on Oct 19, but a second round of negotiations in Istanbul last week ended without a long-term deal, due to a disagreement over militant groups hostile to Pakistan operating inside Afghanistan.
"We hope that wisdom prevails and peace is restored in the region," Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters on Wednesday.
He said Islamabad was pursuing a "one-point agenda" of convincing Afghanistan to rein in militants attacking Pakistani forces across their shared border, allegedly with the Taliban's knowledge.
Two government sources said the head of Pakistan's military intelligence wing, Asim Malik, was leading the Pakistani delegation.
The Afghan delegation is led by intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told state broadcaster RTA.
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Afghan and Pakistani forces briefly exchanged gunfire along their shared border on Thursday, officials from both countries confirmed, coinciding with the resumption of peace talks in Istanbul aimed at ending long-standing tensions.
Each side accused the other of initiating the skirmish near Spin Boldak, a border town in southern Afghanistan along the 2,600-kilometre (1,600-mile) frontier.
No casualties were reported, and representatives from both nations emphasised that they remained committed to maintaining the ceasefire and pursuing dialogue during the ongoing Istanbul negotiations.
Militaries from the South Asian neighbours previously clashed last month, with dozens killed in the worst such violence since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.
Both sides signed a ceasefire in Doha on Oct 19, but a second round of negotiations in Istanbul last week ended without a long-term deal, due to a disagreement over militant groups hostile to Pakistan operating inside Afghanistan.
"We hope that wisdom prevails and peace is restored in the region," Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters on Wednesday.
He said Islamabad was pursuing a "one-point agenda" of convincing Afghanistan to rein in militants attacking Pakistani forces across their shared border, allegedly with the Taliban's knowledge.
Two government sources said the head of Pakistan's military intelligence wing, Asim Malik, was leading the Pakistani delegation.
The Afghan delegation is led by intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told state broadcaster RTA.
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