Hostilities existed between Afghanistan and the newly independent Pakistan since 1947,[15] when Afghanistan became the only country to vote against the admission of Pakistan to the United Nations.[16] Before Pakistan'sindependence, Afghanistan advocated the independence of its north-west frontier,[17] although the region's predominant Pashtun population had voted overwhelmingly in favor of Pakistan over India in the referendum held in July 1947. 99.02% votes were cast in favor of Pakistan.[18][19] Though the proposedPashtunistan state by Afghanistan fluctuated in size over time,[20] the Balochistan province of Pakistan was also frequently included in the Greater Pastunistan definition to gain access to the Arabian sea in case Pakistan failed as a state,[15] as Afghanistan had expected, but the idea became unpopular.[16]
The International border betweenBritish India andAfghanistan was established after the 1893Durand Line Agreement betweenBritishMortimer Durand of British India andAmirAbdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan for fixing the limit of their respectivespheres of influence. The single-page agreement, which contains seven short articles, was signed by Durand and Khan, agreeing not to exercise political interference beyond thefrontier line between what was then theEmirate of Afghanistan and what was also then theBritish Indian Empire.[21] TheDurand Line was reaffirmed as the International Border between Afghanistan and British India in the1919 Anglo-Afghan War after the Afghan independence. The Afghans undertook to stop interference on the British side of the line in the subsequentAnglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919 in Rawalpindi.[22]
Pakistan inherited the Durand Line agreement after itsindependence in 1947, but the Afghan Government has always refused to accept the Durand Line Agreement. Afghanistan has several times tried to seize Pakistan's western provinces ofBalochistan andKhyber Pakhtunkhwa. The then Afghan Prime Minister, Muhammad Hashim, said: "...if an independent Pashtunistan cannot be set up, the frontier province should join Afghanistan. Our neighbor Pakistan will realize that our country, with its population and trade, needs an outlet to the sea, which is very essential", in an interview with the Statesman.[15] In 1949, Pakistan Air Forcebombed the Afghan sponsored militant camps in border areas including an Afghan village to curb an unrest led by Ipi Faqir propagating independent Pashtunistan.[23] Border clashes were reported in 1949–50 for the first time.[16]
On 30 September 1950, Pakistan claimed that Afghan troops and tribesmen had crossed into Pakistan's Balochistan, resulting in the Afghan invasion of Pakistan. The low-scale invasion was repelled after six days of fighting. The Afghan government denied its involvement and claimed that they were pro-Pashtunistan Pashtun tribesmen.[24]
Tensions soared with the PakistaniOne Unit program, and both countries withdrew ambassadors and diplomatic staff in 1955. The Pakistani Embassy in Kabul and consulates in Kandhar and Jalalabad were attacked by mobs.[15][16] In 1960, major skirmishes broke with the Afghan Forces massing out on the Afghan side of the border with tanks. These skirmishes saw the Pakistan Air Force bombarding Afghan forces. This bombardment led to a brief hiatus in the skirmishes. On 6 September 1961, Kabul formally severed diplomatic relations with Pakistan.[17] In March 1961, months before the major battle broke out in the khyber pass area, Afghanistan reportedly provided weapons and ammunition to proxies under the leadership of Fazl Akbar, to incite anuprising in the Batmalai district ofBajaur.[25] Pacha Gul was advised to go before an aerial counteroffensive would be triggered for serving as an agent for Afghanistan and providing resources worth of 170 million Afghanis, cash, and arms to the bajaur tribesmen which were to incite an uprising against Pakistan.[26][27] The Pakistan air force acted by bombing the area where the ammunition dump was stored. The Pakistani air force then claimed to have destroyed a major ammunition dump during the raid.[28][29][30][27]
His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom has seen with regret the disagreements between the Governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan about the status of the territories on the North West Frontier. It is His Majesty's Government's view that Pakistan is in international law the inheritor of the rights and duties of the old Government of India and of his Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom in these territories and that the Durand Line is the international frontier.[31]
The members of the Council declared that their governments recognised that the sovereignty of Pakistan extends up to the Durand Line, the international boundary between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and it was consequently affirmed that the Treaty area referred to in Articles IV and VIII of the Treaty includes the area up to that Line.[32]
— SEATO, 8 March 1956
The Afghan government, having secured a treaty in December 1978 that allowed them to call on Soviet forces, repeatedly requested the introduction of troops in Afghanistan in the spring and summer of 1979. The 1979Soviet–Afghan War forced millions of Afghans to take refuge insidePakistan. Pakistani officials feared that the Soviet Union began some kind of military show down and that Pakistan or at least its Balochistan province was next on the Soviet agenda. During the early 1980s, multi-nationalmujahideen forces (consisting of about 100,000 fighters from forty different Muslim countries in addition to 150,000 local fighters) found support from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iran in the context of theCold War. They were trained by Pakistani military in its frontier region around the Durand Line.[33]
On 29 September 1984, Pakistani officials stated that anAfghan Air Force aircraft flew across theDurand Line and used its munitions on Pakistani border townTeri Mangal, situated inKhyber Pakhtunkhwa, used by theAfghan mujahideen. The plane supposedly dropped two bombs and stayed in Pakistani airspace for 2–4 minutes before flying back toAfghanistan. As a result of the bombing, 32 people were killed, 48 were injured and 200 local shops in the town were destroyed.[34] In the same year, observers reported that Soviet–Afghan forces made 43 airspace violations and 14 ground incursions intoPakistan, resulting in 300 casualties and heavy losses for each side. TheAfghan government then accused thePakistan Army of attacking its garrisons after airstrikes spilled into Pakistani territory.[35]
On 7 January 1986, the Afghan government submitted an official protest to the United Nations, accusing the Pakistani government of continued aggression and violations of Afghan sovereignty, despite repeated diplomatic complaints. The Afghan authorities additionally asserted that Pakistan was supporting anti-government elements (such as the Mujahideen) and enabling attacks on Afghan territory. The complaint cited numerous specific incidents:[36]
On 2 January 1986, two Pakistan Air Force (PAF) helicopters penetrated 3km into Afghan airspace near Gurpary (20km southwest of Asadabad, Kunar). These helicopters allegedly coordinated artillery shelling on Pashad from nearby areas under Pakistan’s jurisdiction, causing 8 civilian casualties, 6 injuries, and the destruction of 30 houses.
On 30 December 1985, under Pakistani air cover, two missile launchers fired 150 rockets from Bandi Sarash and Karbaz villages into Afghan territory, killing 2 teachers, 5 civilians, and destroying 22 houses in Kunar.
On 1 December 1985, a PAF jet reportedly entered 6km into Afghan airspace over Pozdakah (from Torkham) and returned to Pakistan after 10 minutes.
In September 2017,Brad Sherman, a US lawmaker, suggested conditioning US aid to Afghanistan to the recognition of Durand Line. He added:
I realise that's tough. They'll say, oh, don't—but the fact is, as long as Afghanistan leaves open the idea that they're claiming Pakistani territory, it’s going to be very hard to get the Pakistanis involved, as we need them involved, in controlling the Afghan Taliban.[39]
The following is an incomplete list of recent events relating to the Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes. Most of these events cannot be independently verified because news journalists usually have very limited access to reaching the areas where the fighting take place.
13 May 2007 – An armed clash broke out betweenPakistan Army andAfghan National Army. According to Afghan sources, clashes erupted when Pakistan Army established a border military post inside Afghan territory inZazai district.[40] While according to Pakistani officials, clashes erupted when Afghan soldiers opened firing on five to six border posts inKurram tribal region in North-West Pakistan.[40] Governor ofPaktika province, Rahmatullah Rahmat, said that as many as 41 Afghans were either killed or injured in the clash. Other Afghans sources state that 13 Afghans[41] (9 Afghan soldiers and 4 civilians) were killed. 3 soldiers of Pakistan Army were also injured in the clash.[42]
3 February 2011 – One Pakistani and 7 Afghan soldiers were killed and three others injured after a clash broke out along the border between Pakistani and Afghan forces including an Afghan Colonel. 3 Afghan Soldiers were also arrested by Pakistani Forces which were later returned. An Afghan commander in Khost confirmed the exchange of fire and alleged that the incident broke out after Pakistani troops in Waziristan opened fire towards Afghan police posts inGurbuz District, claiming the Afghan engagement as retaliation. However, a Pakistani military official in Peshawar said that the Afghan troops fired on a Pakistan army check post inGhulam Khan, North Waziristan and that the fire emanated from Afghan territory first. "We are responding with artillery and mortars," he added.[43]
June 2011 – Afghanistan blamed Pakistan for killing dozens of Afghan civilians in cross-border shelling conducted for several months. The Afghan government called for the immediate cessation of the artillery fire from Pakistan against Afghan villages. Afghan Army spokesman Mohammad Zahir Azimi said around 150 missiles fired from Pakistan had landed in different areas of Kunar province.[44]
July 2011 – Afghan officials alleged that around 42 Afghans were killed while another 48 were injured as a result of Pakistan military shelling inNangarhar,Kunar andNuristan provinces of Afghanistan. Afghan officials claim that the Pakistani military have been shelling these areas for the past five weeks. The attacks drew widespread condemnation from Afghan security officials and Tribal elders.[45][46][47] In Kabul, around 200 people gathered to protest and condemn cross-border shelling and bombardment of eastern Afghanistan's provinces.[48] However, Pakistan rejected Afghan government accusations, saying a "few accidental rounds may have been fired when it chased unknown militants who had crossed from Afghanistan and attacked its security installments".[48] Moreover,Afghan Border Police officials also acknowledged the presence of terrorist belonging toTehrik-i-Taliban (Pakistan) in areas where shelling took place. Afghan border police officials stated that after NATO forces had withdrawn fromKunar andNangarhar provinces, terrorist belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban (Pakistan) moved in behind fleeing Afghan civilians.[49]
19 July 2011 – Pakistani officials stated that over 20 mortar shells were fired from Afghanistan which killed 4 Pakistani soldiers and wounded another 2. Pakistan blamed the Afghan National Army for the attack.[50]
27 August 2011 – at least 2 Pakistani security personnel were killed and seven others injured inChitral after militants crossed the border fromNuristan province and initiated firing. The Pakistani government blamed Afghanistan, saying since their expulsion from Pakistani tribal areas, militants were regrouping in Kunar and Nuristan with the support of local Afghan authorities.[51]
7 September 2011 – Protesters fromChitral staged a demonstration outside thePeshawar Press Club against an alleged continuous Taliban infiltration into Pakistan from Afghanistan, including the abduction of 30 Pakistani children a week ago on the day ofEid ul-Fitr. The protestors said they would stand against insurgents if their region was attacked in the future and blamed the Afghan government, insisting that Afghan authorities and NATO forces were failing to contain Afghanistan-based militants. The protestors also urged the need to increase the presence of border forces and called on the federal government to take up the issue with the Afghan government to avoid future incidents.[52]
25 September 2011 – Afghan authorities claimed that more than 340 rockets had been fired over the course of four days from Pakistani territory. The rockets damaged a few buildings, resulted in the death of a child and also forced hundreds to flee their homes. An employee from theAfghan Ministry of the Interior did not disclose the source of the cross-border shelling but said: "We call on Pakistan, whoever is behind the attacks, to prevent it immediately."[53]
10 October 2011 – Pakistani security forces stated that they killed 30 Afghan militants when a group of 200 militants from Afghanistan crossed the border into Pakistan. One Pakistani soldier was also killed in the clash.[54]
12 January 2012 – Pakistani Special Forces Troops from eliteSpecial Services Group entered 4 to 5 km deep inside Afghan borders from Lower Dir area in pursuit of militants. Afghan Forces opened fire in retaliation, 11 Afghan Soldiers were killed in the exchange of fire. Pakistan immediately withdrew without any casualties. Afghanistan also blamed SSG Commandos for taking away the body of a killed Afghan Army Major.
2 May 2013 – An armed clash took place between Pakistan and Afghan soldiers. The clash resulted in death of 1Afghan Border Police officer. 2 Afghan border police personnel were also injured. While 2 personnel of Pakistan'sFrontier Constabulary were also injured in the attack.[55][56]
8 June 2013 – Pakistan Army AviationBell AH-1 Cobra Gunship Helicopters crossed the border from North Waziristan into Paktia and hit 3 TTP Targets before returning.
31 May 2014 – Around 150 to 300 Militants belonging toTehrik-i-Taliban (Pakistan) attacked a group of Pakistan military post at Nao top inBajaur District. Pakistani military said that it successfully repelled the attack. In the attack 1 Pakistani soldiers and 16 militants belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban were killed. According to Pakistani officials, gunship helicopters were also used to target Taliban positions in Afghanistan. Afghan defense minister GeneralBismillah Khan Mohammadi acknowledged that Pakistan military post was attacked by Talibans fromAfghanistan side of the border. However, Afghan officials claim that the Pakistani gunship helicopters had crossed into Afghan territory. They claim that 4 Afghan civilians were killed and 10 others were injured as result of strikes conducted by those gunship helicopters.[2]
4 June 2014 – Pakistani officials stated that terrorist from Afghanistan launched an attack on Pakistan's border post inBajaur Agency. According to Pakistani officials, around 4 Pakistani soldiers were killed while 3 others were injured in the attack. Terrorist belonging toTehrik-i-Taliban (Pakistan) were responsible for the attack. The attack was preceded by 31 May 2014 attack which also took place in Bajaur Agency. In the attack, 14 terrorist belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban (Pakistan) were killed. Pakistani officials also stated that one of their border guard was killed while two others were injured. The attack by the terrorist on the border post was repelled successfully.[57]
24 June 2014 – Afghan officials alleged that Pakistani soldiers have crossed the border and have conducted an attack on Afghan soldiers in Afghan territory. Afghan officials stated that the incursion took place inKunar Province of Afghanistan and 3 Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers and 8 Afghan civilians were killed in the attack.[58]
20 December 2014 –JF-17 Thunders from Pakistan Air Force Western Air Command flew into Afghanistan in Kunar Province and reportedly hit 27 targets. Air strikes were carried out in three phases throughout the night and reportedly 50 militants were killed. An Afghan soldier was also killed when an Afghan mobile patrol was mistakenly identified as a militant vehicle by Pakistani aircraft, SSG was also sent in to get the bodies of as many militants as possible. ANA troops did not retaliate against the Pakistani aircraft as theMinistry of Defence (Afghanistan) directed them not to engage Pakistani forces.
23 August 2015 – Four Pakistani soldiers manning a border post were killed and four more injured in a rocket attack which originated from Afghanistan. The Pakistan military stated that it eliminated the group of militants responsible for the attack. This followed an attack on 16 and 17 August in which three Frontier Constabulary officers had also been killed.[59]
13–16 June 2016 – Pakistan and Afghan military clashed along the Torkham border for a period of three days.[60][61] One Pakistan army Major, Ali Jawad Changezi, was injured in the clashes along Torkham border and later died in a hospital inPeshawar on 14 June. Four Pakistani border guards and nine civilians were also injured in the clashes that lasted for three days. According to Pakistan, Afghan army started unprovoked firing at roughly 9pm on Sunday to disrupt the construction of a gate 37 meters inside the Pakistani side of the border.[62][63] The gate is designed to curb illegal cross-border movement and check the movement of terrorists, and is part of the greater under-constructionPakistan–Afghanistan barrier.[62] The Torkham border crossing was forced to close due to skirmishes.[64] According to Afghan officials, three Afghan soldiers[60] and two Afghan civilians[65] were killed as a result of Pakistan army firing. Seventeen Afghan soldiers were also reported to be injured in the three days clash.[66] According to some reports Pakistan Army had captured three Afghan border outposts.[67] On 15 June 2016, Pakistan restarted the construction of the border gate on the Torkham border.[68]
17–19 February 2017 – Over 48 hours, the Pakistani Army fired scores of missiles onGoshta District andLal Pur District in Nangarhar province andSirkanay District of Kunar province. Pakistani artillery rounds destroyed a dozen sites belonging to terrorist groups likeJamaat-ul-Ahrar andTehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, killing 15 to 20 terrorists and injuring many more.[69][4][70][71] According to reports, Pakistan's cross-border shelling left more than 2,000 families homeless.[72] This took place one day after theSehwan suicide bombing in whichISIL-KP bombed the reveredSufiShrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Pakistan'sSindh province, killing 91 people and wounding 300 others. The Afghan foreign ministry protested the shelling by Pakistan on its territory.[73]
5 March 2017 – Afghan officials claimed that Pakistan military has been shelling parts ofKunar province andNangarhar province for the past two weeks. Afghan officials claim that 4 Afghan civilians were killed and dozen others were wounded in the shelling. Afghan reports claim that Pakistan military had fired more than 500 rockets which had in turn had made 500 families homeless.[74]
5 May 2017 – In the2017 Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmish, a Pakistani census team inChaman was attacked by Afghan forces and in return Pakistani forces attacked the Afghan Army. At least seven Afghan soldiers and two Pakistani soldiers were killed, as well as at least two civilians. At least 30 civilians were wounded.[75]
5 April 2018 – Afghan government officials claim that thePakistan Air Force had conducted airstrikes inKunar province of Afghanistan which has caused 'huge financial losses' for the Afghan government. According to Afghan government officials, Pakistan Air Force dropped around four bombs within Afghanistan's territory.[76] However, Pakistan officials rejected Afghan government allegations and termed them baseless. Pakistani officials stated that the Pakistan security forces were countering militants groups based in Afghanistan, who had launched attacks against the Pakistani security forces.[77]
15 April 2018 – Cross-border fire between the Pakistani Army and Afghan forces conducting routine "surveillance" in theKurram Agency left two Pakistani soldiers dead and five others injured.[78]
February 2019 – Afghan officials wrote toUnited Nation Security Council (UNSC) regarding consistent violation of Afghan territory by Pakistani security forces. Afghan officials claim that from 2012 to 2017, 82 Afghan people have been killed and 183 were injured as result of Pakistani security forces attacks.[79]
3 April 2019 – An Afghan-basedKharoti tribe, clashed with Pakistan'sSulaimankhel tribe in Zarmailan area in Toykhula tehsil near the Pak-Afghan border. Reports suggest that clash broke out when members of the Afghan Kharoti tribe took up positions on the hilltop in Zarmailan area and started firing at the local population on the Pakistani side. In response, Pakistan's Sulaimankhel tribe, retaliated which forced Afghan Kharoti tribe to flee while leaving behind their weapons. Seven Afghan Kharoti were also injured in the clash. The Sulaimankhel tribe was led by Malik Ibrahim Jalalkhel, Gulbahar Khan Sulimankhel and other local elders.[80][81][82]
1–2 May 2019 – On 1 May 2019, Pakistan military officials stated that around 70–80 terrorists from Afghanistan, launched attack on Pakistani soldiers who were constructing a border fence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistani military officials stated that they successfully repulsed the attack, killing scores of terrorists while forcing others to withdraw. In the clash, three Pakistani soldiers were also killed, while seven others were injured. Pakistan summoned the Afghan diplomat to lodge strong protests against the attack and urged the Afghan government to take action against the terrorists operating from the Afghan soil.[83] On 2 May 2019, Afghan officials claimed that four Afghan civilians were killed and five others wounded as result of cross border shelling by Pakistani forces inKhost Province. Afghanistan summoned the Pakistani diplomat to protest over Pakistani military's "violation of AfghanAirspace and launching rockets" that caused casualties and damage.[84]
21 September 2020 - 1Pakistani soldier was killed during a cross border attack on a military checkpost inBajaur District. According to a statement by the military, the shooting came from the Afghan side of the frontier.[85]
Islamic Emirate era skirmishes
The Taliban returned to power aftercapturing Kabul on the2021 offensive. The Taliban-led Afghanistan has been increasingly involved in border conflicts with Pakistan.[86]
26 August 2021 – A Pakistani soldier was killed in a cross border attack on a military checkpost inLower Dir District. In response,Pakistan Army troops killed 2TTP terrorists and injured 3 others.[87]
29 August 2021 – Gunfire from Afghanistan killed two Pakistani soldiers inBajaur District in the second such incident since theTalibantook over Kabul. In retaliation the army said it killed 2-3 TTP terrorists and injured 3-4 more.[88]
24 December 2021 – A clash took place between theTaliban-run Afghan forces and PakistaniFrontier Corps at several points along theAfghanistan-Pakistan border. According to Afghan villagers and tribal elders, Pakistani forces started shelling parts ofKunar province in response to firing by militants associated withTehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Pakistani soldiers deployed along the border. Soon after, the Afghan forces also started firing artillery targeting areas on Pakistan side of the border fromSarkano andDangam districts of Kunar province.[89] According to Afghan media outlets, one Afghan civilian was injured in the shelling[90] and the areas affected by Pakistani forces shelling were Dangam, Shaltan, Sarkano andMarawar districts of Kunar province. The shelling had also caused financial losses to the local residents, according to the Afghan media.[91] No loss of life was reported on Pakistan's side.[92]
6 February 2022 – FivePakistani troops were killed as result of an attack by "militants from inside Afghanistan" on a Pakistani border post inKurram District,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The army says that it retaliated, causing heavy casualties among the militants. TheTalibangovernment denies that the firing came from within Afghan territory.[93]
24 February 2022 – Pakistan and Afghan forces clashed in Spin boldak area with each side accusing the other of initiating the fire fight. Two civilians were killed and six others were injured on the Afghanistan's side as result of the clash. No loss of life was reported on Pakistan's side. The Taliban government spokesman announced that the situation in the area is under control now and that they will investigate further to why the two sides clashed.[94]
April 2022 – On 9 April 2022, clashes occurred between Pakistani border guards and Afghan army inNimruz Province, Afghanistan. No casualties were reported in this clash. On 15 April 2022, Pakistani soldiers again reportedly clashed with Afghan army around 9 p.m inGurbuz District, Khost Province, killing two Afghan soldiers.[95] This led toPakistani airstrikes in Afghan provinces ofKhost andKunar killing unknown numbers ofTTP militants, as per Pakistani media.[96]
13 September 2022 – In the border area of Afghanistan'sPaktia province and Pakistan'sKurram province, gunfire was exchanged between Afghan forces and Pakistani forces, resulting in casualties on both sides. The Taliban alleged that Pakistani forces were attempting to build a military outpost near the border, which Taliban spokespersonBilal Karimi said was against the "rules". Karimi further alleged that Taliban forces were fired upon when they approached Pakistani troops for questioning. Pakistan Armed Forces released a statement saying that terrorists had "opened fire upon Pakistani troops" across the border.[97]
13 November 2022 – During the early morning of 13 November, Afghan forces and Pakistani border guards exchanged gunfire at theSpin Boldak-Chama border crossing inSouthern Kandahar. 1 Pakistani guard was killed, while another 2 were injured. The Taliban has claimed that it had suffered no casualties during the skirmish.[98][99] The crossing was closed for indefinite period after the skirmish.[100]
11 December 2022 – At least six civilians were killed as a result of firing from Afghan army near theChaman border. According to theInter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), heavy weapons including artillery and mortars were used in the firing by Afghan forces.[101][102] Pakistan fired missiles in retaliation killing one Afghan soldier.[103]
15 December 2022 – One civilian was killed and 11 injured on Pakistan's side when Afghan forces shelled the Chaman border crossing with mortars.[104]
19 February 2023 – Afghan army clashed with Pakistani border guards which resulted in closure of Torkham border crossing.[105]
March 2024 – On 18 March 2024 Pakistan launched pre-dawn airstrikes targeting TTP hideouts in Afghanistan'sKhost andPaktika province.[106][107][108] The strikes were in retaliation to an earlier militant attack by TTP that resulted in death of seven Pakistani soldiers and six TTP militants. According to Afghan local sources, eight individuals, including five family members of a TTP commander, were killed in these airstrikes.[109] Local sources in Afghanistan also report death of some members of TTP group in the airstrikes.[110] However, the Taliban-led Afghan government claims the airstrikes had only killed eight civilians, which included five women and three children. Later,Afghan Defense Ministry also announced that Afghan army had targeted Pakistani troops at the border in response to the air strikes.[107] An officer of Pakistan army was killed, while three soldiers and four civilians were injured in the clash.[111] Taliban officials did not disclose their losses, however, the local Afghans report death of a soldier of Afghan army in the clashes.[109] Analyst believe that the pre-dawn airstrikes were meant to send a message to Afghan Taliban officials regarding militant attacks in Pakistan originating from Afghanistan.[112][113]
7 September 2024 – TheTaliban border guards of Afghanistan clashed withFrontier Corps of Pakistan. The conflict erupted at theKurram district borderingKhost province of Afghanistan.The conflict reportedly broke out when Taliban forces attempted to construct a security outpost on the Afghan side of thePakistan-Afghanistan border barrier, prompting Pakistani troops to open fire to force the other side to stop the activity. Multiple sources reported that ongoing heavy clashes had injured at least five Pakistani soldiers, including an officer while in Pakistan's retaliation at least eightAfghan Taliban fighters were killed including twoTaliban Army commanders and 16 others injured in the early hours of Saturday (7 September). Open Source Intelligence also claimed one soviet-eraT-62 tank operated by Afghan Taliban destroyed by the Pakistani forces. A spokesman for Afghanistan's Information Ministry refused to provide any information about the clashes.[114][115][116]
25 December 2024 – ThePakistan Air Force launched precision airstrikes on the seven locations located across four villages ofBarmal District ofAfghanistanPaktika province killing 20-25 terrorists. The villages targeted by PAF included Laman, Margha, and Murg Bazaar and four unspecified villages. Reports indicate that the Murg Bazaar village in Barmal was completely destroyed.[117] The airstrikes took four High Value Targets(HVTs) that included terrorists camps and hideouts of key commanders, these included the compound of senior ranking Commander of TTP, Sher Zaman alias Mukhlis Yar's hideout, the Commander Abu Hamza's recruitment camp and Akhtar Muhammad alias Khalil suicide bombers camp. All of these commanders were using camps for recruitment and training young child suicide bombers and terrorists. The fourth target struck by PAF was the "Umar Media" cell of TTP, being headed by the TTP's commander Shoaib Iqbal Cheema alias Muneeb Jatt, from where the TTP propagated its digital propaganda.[118] Afghan Taliban's Defence Ministry, theAfghan Taliban regime official spokespersonZabiullah Mujahid confirmed reports of the strike carried out byPakistani forces, but claimed that the dead and injured included a number of children and other civilians. The PAF's strikes mark third instance of Pakistan launching attack on Afghan soil since thefall of Kabul. The Pakistan airstrikes coincided the birthday ofPakistan's founder and followed the PAF's2022 Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan and2024 Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan.[119][120][121][122][123] TheAfghan Government reported that 46 people had been killed, most of whom were children and women, and 6 more people were wounded, mostly children.[124][125]
27 December 2024 – On 27 December, Afghan andPakistani border troops exchanged fire for several hours inDand Aw Patan.The fighting, which reportedly began around 1 a.m. local time on 27 Dec., lasted for several hours, with both sides exchanging heavy fire. According to local sources, some rockets fired byPakistani forces struck civilian homes and inflicted damage on the border posts ofTaliban border Guards. According to Kabul-based local Tolo News, Pakistani forces fired a mortar shell in the Dand-e-Patan district of Paktia province, killing at least five people and injuring three.[126] Afghanistan basedTOLOnews, while citing its un-named sources, also claimed nineteen Pakistani soldiers were killed, however, no official information on casualties or damage on either side has been released.[127] TheTaliban only confirmed the clashes while refusing to share any further details about the incident.[128][129][130]
28 December 2024 – Multipleretaliation attacks were launched byTaliban border Guards on Pakistani posts in border closed areas ofKurram andNorth Waziristandistricts in response to theDecember 25 Pakistani Airstrikes in Afghanistan.[131] TheAfghan Ministry of Defense confirmed the attacks stating it hit "several points" in Pakistan.Taliban spokespersons asserted that they had targeted "malicious elements" across the border in Pakistan, but did not specify casualties and extent of damage inflicted upon Pakistani security forces.[132][133] According to Pakistani officials two infiltration attempt of Afghanistan based militants were foiled. As per Pakistani official sources, "in the midst of night of December 27 and 28, a group of 20 to 25Fitna-al-Khawarij terrorists attempted to cross into Pakistan from two locations inKurram andNorth Waziristan by usingAfghan Taliban Army border posts." As per Pakistani officials,Pakistani forces retaliated and countered the infiltration attempts by the TTP militants by killing 15TTP militants and 8Afghan Taliban and also forcingAfghan Taliban to abandon six posts, while adding that oneFrontier Corps soldier was killed in the cross-fire whereas seven paramilitary personnel sustained injuries. Pakistan security forces released a video in which several Afghan border posts can be seen being devastated by the Pakistani forces.[134][135][136][137]
29 December 2024 – As per Pakistani officials, a third infiltration attempt made by the TTP militants were failed by Pakistani border forces in less than a week.[138] Upon their failure TTP militants resorted to unprovoked firing with heavy weapons on Pakistani border posts, however no casualties were reported on either side. As per Afghanistan media , over a thousand residents of Dand-e-Patan district in Paktia have been displaced to safer areas following recent clashes with Pakistan. Many residents of Alisher district in Khost province have also abandoned their homes along the Durand Line. "There were many problems. The sound of the artillery was terrible. Children were crying, and all the residents of Dand-e-Patan have left," said Hukumran while talking toTOLOnews, who was displaced due to Pakistan firing. However Pakistani side reported no loss of civilian lives or property.[139][140][141][142]
3 January 2025 – Afghanistan based media outlets reported armed clashes betweenFrontier Corps of Pakistan andTaliban Army of Afghanistan. According to reports of the Afghan media, Pakistani forces targeted the Alisher district ofKhost with rocket and projectiles at 1:30 AM,Pakistan launched rocket attacks till 5:00 AM, and then the forces of the Islamic Emirate responded to these attacks. The cross border firing came to halt till dawn. Neither side commented on the clashes officially.[143][144]
10 January 2025 – Several Afghan media outlets reports clashes betweenFrontier Corps of Pakistan andTaliban Army of Afghanistan. Afghan media reported rocket and missile attacks by the Pakistani artillery firing. According to Afghan media conflict erupted in theSarkano district ofKunar province in eastern Afghanistan, corresponding to theBajaur andMohmand districts ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa.As per reports, an Afghan border security force official was killed, and two others critically injured after a Pakistani mortar struck a bunker during the clashes, a source in Sarkano confirmed to Afghan media.[145] The exchange included over 50 rounds of firing. The mortar shelling forced hundreds of families in Kunar to leave their homes, according to local residents. On the Pakistani side, officials confirmed that mortars were fired into their territory, targeting adjacent districts of Mohmand and Bajaur. No loss of property or lives were reported on the Pakistani side.[146][147][148]
2-3 March 2025 – Between 2-3 March 2025 Pakistan'sFrontier Corps and Afghanistan'sTaliban border guards exchanged fire.[151] On 2 March 2025 Taliban’s Ministry of Interior confirmed that one of their border forces was killed and two others were wounded in an exchange of fire on Sunday night. The firing once again erupted on 3 March 2025. According to sources, at least three Pakistani soldiers have been injured, while three Taliban members have been killed. The exchange of firing left a civilian injured on the Pakistani side of the border.[152][153]
22 March 2025 – On the night of March 22 and 23, dozens of terrorists belonging to Afghanistan-based terrorist groupTehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan(TTP) made an attempt to infiltrate through thePakistan-Afghanistan border at the bordering town ofGhulam Khan Kallay,North Waziristan District. Pakistan's border guards of Frontier Corps successfully foiled attempt of the Afghanistan-based terrorists by killing sixteen(16) members of the TTP.[154]
6 April 2025 – Between night of 5-6 April a group of eight terrorists belonging to the Afghanistan-based terror outfitTehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan were killed by theFrontier Corps of Pakistan. The terrorists were killed while attempting to cross the border fence on theAfghanistan-Pakistan border. The clash also left four other fleeing terrorists critically injured. No loss of life or material was reported on the Pakistani side.[155]
27 April 2025 – Pakistan border guards of Frontier Corps killed 54 terrorists attempting to infiltrate through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border near the Bibak Ghar area in Hassan Khel tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on April 27, reports Dawn. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), this is the highest-ever number of terrorists killed by SFs in a single engagement throughout the campaign against terrorism. “On night 25/26 and 26/27 April 2025, [the] movement of a large group of khwarij, who were trying to infiltrate through Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was detected by the security forces in [the] general area [of] Hassan Khel, North Waziristan District. [Our] own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate. As a result of precise and skilful engagement, all fifty-four khawarij have been sent to hell,” the statement added. A large cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered from the slain terrorists, ISPR added further, the death toll in Security Forces (SFs)’s action on infiltrating terrorists through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border near the Bibak Ghar area in Hassan Khel tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on April 27, climbed up to 71 as 17 more dead bodies of terrorists were recovered on April 28, reports The Khorasan Diary.[156][157][158]
27 August 2025 – Multiple Afghanistan media sources reported Pakistani drone strikes inKunar,Nangarhar andKhost provinces ofAfghanistan. Afghanistan media claimed Pakistani drones hit Afghanistan-based terror outfitTehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. As per Afghan media, the first strike hit Surkakh village inSpera district, Khost province, an area known to host terrorists of thePakistani Taliban andGul Bahadur which regularly carry out massacre of innocent Pakistani civilians acrossPakistan-Afghanistan International border. Local sources state strikes also resulted in the casualties of two children while six others wounded. A second strike struck a house belonging to a man named Shahsawar in Viala village ofShinwar district, Nangarhar province. The house was hit twice, leaving two children missing and two others wounded, who were taken to hospital. Residents also reported multiple explosions in three districts of Kunar province includingMarawara, Sarkano andDangam, all of which border Pakistan and considered to be hotbed of Afghanistan-based TTP terrorists. Viala village ofShinwar district is also famous hotbed and refuge of TTP terrorists.In response, the Taliban summoned Pakistan’s ambassador inKabul and handed him a formal letter of protest.Pakistan did not comment or claimed responsibility for the drone attacks.[159][160][161][162]
^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived(PDF) from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved19 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Leake, Elisabeth (2017).The defiant border: the Afghan-Pakistan borderlands in the era of decolonization, 1936-1965. Cambridge studies in US foreign relations. New York, NY:Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-1-107-12602-2.
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