Fresh border clashes between Pakistani forces and Afghan Taliban broke out on Monday in which four people were killed in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province, while three others were injured in Pakistan, officials said. The resumption of hostilities between the two sides threatens the fragile peace talks between the neighbours. The two sides had agreed to a ceasefire in March that halted weeks of deadly violence.
Deputy spokesperson of the Taliban government Hamdullah Fitrat claimed that Pakistani troops launched artillery attacks that injured 45 people.
“We strongly condemn these attacks by the Pakistani military regime, in which ordinary people, academics, and educational institutions were targeted, and declare them unforgivable war crimes,” the spokesman said on social media.
Refuting the claims, Pakistan’s Information Ministry dismissed the report, stating that it was a “blatant lie” and insisted that there had been no attack on the university.
The operation’s commander in South Waziristan described the latest escalation as the most serious clash since the ceasefire was declared.
This is the first reported incident of clashes between both sides after the peace talks mediated by China last month.
Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have also made efforts to halt the conflict, with relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan remaining fraught since the Taliban took power for a second time in 2021.
The heaviest clashes were sparked in February earlier this year, when Afghanistan tried to capture some Pakistani border posts along the 2,640-km (1,640-mile) Durand Line, which separates the two nations.
Also read: Pak, Afghanistan resume peace talks
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