Border clashes have broken out again between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban forces, with each side accusing the other of breaking a fragile ceasefire.
Residents fled overnight from the Afghan town of Spin Boldak, located along the 2,600 km border between the two countries.
A medical worker in the nearby city of Kandahar told BBC Pashto that four bodies had been taken to a local hospital. Four other people were injured. Three were reported injured in Pakistan.
Sporadic fighting has taken place between the two countries in recent months, while the Afghan Taliban government has also accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes inside the country.
Both sides confirmed they had exchanged fire during the night, but each blamed the other for instigating the four hours of fighting.
Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accused the Taliban of “unprovoked firing”.
The statement continued: “An immediate, appropriate and intense response was provided by our armed forces. Pakistan remains fully vigilant and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the security of its citizens. »
At the same time, a Taliban spokesperson said Pakistan had “once again launched attacks” and said it was “forced to respond.”
Residents on the Afghan side of the border said the exchange of fire began around 10:30 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Friday..
Images from the area showed large numbers of Afghans fleeing on foot and in vehicles.
Ali Mohammed Haqmal, head of Kandahar’s information department, said Pakistani forces attacked with “light and heavy artillery” and civilian homes were hit by mortar fire.
The latest clashes came less than two months after the two sides agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey.
It ended more than a week of fighting in which dozens of people were killed – the worst clashes between Pakistan and the Taliban since the group returned to power in 2021 – although tensions remain high.
The government in Islamabad has long accused the Taliban in power in Afghanistan of providing refuge to armed groups that carry out attacks in Pakistan.
The Taliban government denies the accusation and accuses Pakistan of blaming others for their “own security failures.”
The Pakistani Taliban have carried out at least 600 attacks against Pakistani forces over the past year, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
Last week, delegations from both sides met in Saudi Arabia for a fourth round of negotiations on a broader peace deal, but failed to reach an agreement.
Sources close to the talks told BBC News that both sides had agreed to maintain the ceasefire.
