Why Are Pakistan and Afghanistan Clashing?

Deadly cross-border fighting has erupted between Afghanistan and Pakistan, killing dozens of troops on both sides in one of the most serious escalations since the Taliban seized power in 2021.

According to Taliban officials, their forces launched overnight attacks on Pakistani positions in retaliation for airstrikes they claim Islamabad carried out over Kabul last week.

Pakistan has not confirmed the strikes but defended its right to target militants it says operate from Afghan soil.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid reported that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed, while Pakistan’s military countered that it lost 23 troops and killed over 200 Taliban fighters.

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said the situation was now “under control” after appeals from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, while Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Afghanistan’s “provocations” and vowed a “strong and effective response.”

The border crossings at Torkham and other key points were sealed as reinforcements arrived, and analysts say the clashes mark a dangerous turning point in relations already strained by Pakistan’s accusations that the Taliban harbors the Pakistani Taliban (TTP).