Six Pakistani soldiers were killed, one was captured, and the body of another soldier was recovered by Taliban forces following a fierce overnight clash on Monday along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in southern Afghanistan.
According to Afghan local media reports, Taliban forces and Pakistani troops clashed in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province. The confrontation began late at night after Pakistani forces allegedly opened fire across the border, killing a local child. Taliban fighters then launched retaliatory attacks, as reported by local sources.
This latest clash comes amid renewed violence across the frontier, including reported rocket and mortar strikes by Pakistani forces into eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province earlier on Monday. Local news outlet Ariana News reported that at least four civilians were killed and 45 others injured in those attacks, with most of the wounded being women and children.
Afghanistan's Taliban authorities said four people were killed and up to 70 others injured in the strikes. About 30 students, women, and children were among the wounded in attacks that hit homes and Syed Jamaluddin Afghani University in Asadabad, Kunar province, according to Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat. He strongly condemned the attacks, calling them unforgivable war crimes in a post on X.
Pakistan rejected the allegations. The country's information ministry stated on X that no strike had been carried out on the university, calling the claims frivolous and fake. The Pakistani military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Areas including Asadabad, the provincial capital, and the Yargul area were hit, with damage reported at Syed Jamaluddin Afghan University and Kunar University hostel. The violence marks a renewed spike in tensions despite recent diplomatic efforts. Delegations from both sides had met in Urumqi, China, earlier this month to address border security concerns, but the talks ended without a clear agreement. A brief ceasefire during the Eid holiday also failed to hold.
