Afghanistan and Pakistan have traded heavy fire, both sides said, days after they announced a temporary pause in fighting, escalating tensions in the volatile region as Islamabad prepares to host talks between the U.S. and Iran.
The border clashes came on Sunday, the day Pakistan hosted regional powers to discuss de-escalation in the war in the Middle East, with an announcement that Islamabad could host the talks in coming days.
Both sides used artillery and heavy weapons to hit locations in Afghanistan's Kunar province and its bordering district of Bajur in Pakistan, officials said.
Pakistan's fire killed at least one person and injured another 16, most of them women and children, said Hamdullah Fitrat, a deputy spokesperson for Kabul's Taliban administration.
Pakistan only responded to heavy shelling from Afghanistan, security officials said, denying that it targeted any civilian locations. The officials declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to media.
The Pakistani military did not respond to a request for a comment.
Pakistan and Afghanistan's worst fighting in years erupted last month, claiming heavy human losses on both sides.
Kabul said more than 400 people were killed in a Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in the Afghan capital this month before the neighbours suspended fighting.
Pakistan rejected the Taliban's statements about the strike, saying it had "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure".
A pause in hostilities was announced for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr, and also requested by Türkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which Islamabad ended last week.
Kabul has not yet announced officially whether the ceasefire was still holding form their side.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of harbouring and supporting Islamist militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies it, saying the militancy is Pakistan's domestic problem.
Regional powers gathered in Moscow on Monday for talks on Afghanistan, focusing on security, economic cooperation and Kabul’s relations with ...
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan held talks in Tehran on Monday on bilateral ties and efforts t...
Four major German political foundations have halted their work in Georgia as tighter rules on foreign grants put pressure on a decades-old partners...
Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, with Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), appointed as acting oil minister, according to Iranian state media.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
Candidates elected to Bosnia and Herzegovina's three-member presidency declared victory after preliminary unofficial results showed Denis Becirovic leading the Bosniak seat, Darijana Filipovic ahead in the Croat seat and Zeljka Cvijanovic likely retaining the Serb seat.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States meets seven conditions agreed under a June memorandum, as President Donald Trump signals he may soon decide whether to resume military operations against Tehran.
Regional powers gathered in Moscow on Monday for talks on Afghanistan, focusing on security, economic cooperation and Kabul’s relations with its neighbours.
Four major German political foundations have halted their work in Georgia as tighter rules on foreign grants put pressure on a decades-old partnership and add to tensions between Tbilisi and its European partners.
The U.S. has deployed two additional Patriot missile batteries to the Gulf, protecting key energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar as Washington expands its military presence in the Middle East amid heightened tensions with Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan held talks in Tehran on Monday on bilateral ties and efforts to strengthen peace and security in the South Caucasus.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry says it has conveyed its initial position to the United States through Qatar over Washington’s response to Tehran’s seven-day plan aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment