Late Friday night, the already fraught border between Pakistan and Afghanistan erupted once more in violence, as heavy gunfire and artillery exchanges shattered the uneasy calm that had lingered since the last round of failed peace talks. The fighting broke out around 10:30 p.m. local time on December 5, 2025, and lasted for nearly two hours, according to residents and officials on both sides of the divide. The Spin Boldak district in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and the Chaman area in Pakistan’s Balochistan province were at the center of this latest flare-up.
Each side pointed fingers, blaming the other for igniting the hostilities. Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban government, declared on X (formerly Twitter) that “the Pakistani side once again launched attacks towards Afghanistan in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar, prompting the Islamic Emirate forces to respond.” Meanwhile, Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesman for Pakistan’s Prime Minister, countered that it was Afghan forces who “carried out unprovoked firing” along the Chaman border. He insisted, “Pakistan remains fully alert and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the safety of our citizens.”
Reports from the ground painted a harrowing scene. According to AFP and local Afghan officials, the exchange involved both light and heavy artillery, with mortar rounds landing in civilian areas. Ali Mohammad Haqmal, head of Kandahar’s information department, told AFP that “Pakistan forces attacked with light and heavy artillery and that mortar fire had struck civilian homes.” The governor of Spin Boldak district confirmed to Al Jazeera that four Afghan civilians were killed during the clashes. On the Pakistani side, the medical superintendent of Chaman district hospital, Muhammad Owais, reported that three people, including a woman, were brought in with injuries, according to Dawn.
While initial reports from several outlets, including DW and The Hindu, noted no immediate confirmation of casualties, the toll on civilians became clearer as Saturday wore on. The violence underscored just how perilous life along this border has become, especially for non-combatants caught in the crossfire.
The timing of the violence was hardly coincidental. Just days earlier, officials from both countries had convened in Saudi Arabia for yet another round of negotiations, hoping to cement a fragile ceasefire brokered after October’s deadly clashes. Those talks, mediated by Saudi, Qatari, and Turkish diplomats, ended in disappointment—no breakthrough, only a vague commitment to continue dialogue. Earlier rounds in Qatar and Turkey had also failed to yield a durable truce.
This latest escalation follows more than a month of mounting tensions. Since October, the border has seen repeated outbreaks of violence, with the October clashes described by DW as “among the deadliest since the Taliban takeover in 2021.” That week of fighting left about 70 people dead on both sides and hundreds more wounded, before a ceasefire agreement was signed in Doha on October 19. But the ink on that deal was barely dry before fresh accusations and attacks resumed.
Underlying the border clashes is a deeper, more intractable set of grievances. Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government of harboring militants—including the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army, and an ISIL affiliate known as ISKP—who cross the border to stage attacks inside Pakistan. Just two days before the latest firefight, a roadside bombing claimed by the TTP killed three Pakistani police officers near the Afghan border, as reported by Al Jazeera. Islamabad insists that Afghan-based militants have carried out a series of attacks, including suicide bombings involving Afghan nationals. Kabul, for its part, denies these accusations, arguing that it cannot be held responsible for Pakistan’s internal security problems and accusing Islamabad of spreading misinformation to stoke border tensions.
The rhetoric has grown increasingly heated. In the aftermath of the latest violence, Zabihullah Mujahid warned, “These hostile actions by Pakistani forces achieve nothing; they only prove that operations driven by flawed intelligence inflame tensions and expose the ongoing failures of Pakistan’s military regime.” He also stated, “A necessary response would be taken at an appropriate time,” hinting at the possibility of further escalation.
Adding to the volatility are allegations of cross-border airstrikes. Afghan authorities have accused Pakistan of launching multiple air raids into Afghan territory in recent weeks. One particularly devastating incident, reported by Afghan officials and cited by IANS and DW, involved airstrikes in Khost province in late November that killed ten civilians—nine of them children and one woman. Separate airstrikes in Kunar and Paktika provinces reportedly injured four more civilians. Pakistan, however, has categorically denied carrying out such attacks.
The dispute over responsibility for violence is nothing new. Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, relations with Pakistan have steadily deteriorated. Islamabad’s demand that Kabul rein in militant groups has been met with resistance and denial from the Afghan side. Meanwhile, the border—often referred to as the Durand Line—remains a flashpoint, with both governments eager to assert their sovereignty and unwilling to back down in the face of perceived provocations.
Despite the heavy fighting, both sides agreed to halt fire after the two-hour exchange, according to Ali Mohammad Haqmal. Yet, the uneasy ceasefire is just that—uneasy. The failed peace talks, the ongoing accusations, and the civilian casualties all point to a situation that could easily spiral out of control.
For the people living along the border, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Civilians on both sides have repeatedly borne the brunt of the violence, with homes struck by mortar fire and families caught in the crossfire of a conflict not of their making. Hospitals in Chaman and Kandahar have seen a steady stream of wounded, and the fear of renewed fighting hangs heavy in the air.
As regional powers continue to push for a diplomatic solution, the reality on the ground remains grim. The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is as tense as ever, and unless meaningful progress is made at the negotiating table, the risk of further bloodshed looms large. For now, both governments insist they are committed to dialogue, but as recent events have shown, words alone are not enough to keep the guns silent.
