Four civilians killed in fresh Afghan-Pakistan border clash

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan: An overnight exchange of fire at one of the main Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossings killed four civilians, an Afghan official said on Saturday (Dec 6), in the latest flare-up since deadly clashes in October.

Four others were wounded, Abdul Karim Jahad, the governor of Spin Boldak district in southern Afghanistan, told AFP.

The local hospital at the Pakistani border town of Chaman said three people had been discharged after suffering minor injuries during the clash.

Each side accused the other of launching “unprovoked” attacks at the crossing between Chaman and Spin Boldak despite a truce agreed after the October clashes.

“Unfortunately, tonight, the Pakistani side started attacking Afghanistan in Kandahar, Spin Boldak district, and the forces of the Islamic Emirate were forced to respond,” Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid posted on social media platform X late on Friday.

Pakistan said it was Afghanistan that had fired first.

“A short while ago, the Afghan Taliban regime resorted to unprovoked firing” along the border, Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesman for Pakistan’s prime minister, said on X.

“An immediate, befitting and intense response has been given by our armed forces.”

Residents on the Afghan side of the border told AFP the exchange of fire broke out around 10.30pm (Saturday, 2am, Singapore time) and lasted about two hours.

Ali Mohammed Haqmal, head of Kandahar’s information department, said Pakistan forces attacked with “light and heavy artillery” and that mortar fire had struck civilian homes.