An overnight exchange of fire on the two countries' border killed five civilians and wounded eight others, officials say.
15:03, Sat, Dec 6, 2025 Updated: 15:05, Sat, Dec 6, 2025
Afghan and Pakistani forces clashed along their shared border on Friday night (Image: Getty)
Five people have been killed in an eruption of tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with each side blaming the other for breaking a fragile ceasefire. Five Afghan civilians died and five were wounded, alongside three Pakistani civilians, during an overnight exchange of gunfire on the border between the two countries, according to official accounts. It follows a two-month ceasefire amid ongoing animosity between the South Asian neighbours, largely provoked by the Taliban's return to power in 2021 and allegations that armed groups including the Pakistan Taliban are being sheltered in Kabul.
Deputy Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitra told the Reuters news agency that shelling from Pakistan killed five people including a Taliban member late on Friday night. In a post on X, Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani forces had "launched attacks towards" Afghan territory, prompting a response. But a spokesperson for Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said it was the Afghan forces who began "unprovoked firing" across the Chaman border.
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Tensions between the two countries worsened after the Taliban came to power (Image: Getty)
"Pakistan remains fully alert and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the safety of our citizens," the spokesperson added in a statement.
Afghan residents told AFP that the barrage began at around 10:30pm local time and lasted for around two hours, striking some civilian homes.
The ceasefire was negotiated in the Qatari capital of Doha in October after a particularly deadly eruption of fighting, with around 70 people killed on both sides.
It's not the first time the shaky agreement has allegedly been breached, with Afghanistan accusing Pakistan of launching air strikes over its eastern provinces in the last month, including one that reportedly killed 10 people including children. Pakistan has denied involvement.
Pakistan has also alleged that Afghan-based militants including the Pakistan Taliban, thought to be separate but aligned with the ruling group, are responsible for recent attacks within its borders including suicide bombings. The Taliban has argued that it can't be held responsible for security inside Pakistan.
Qatar has continued to mediate peace talks, alongside Turkey and Saudi Arabia, with the goal of establishing a longer-term peace plan, but such attempts have so far been unsuccessful.
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