Pakistan, Afghanistan exchange heavy fire along border, officials say

Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy fire along their border late on Friday, officials from both countries confirmed.

The clash killed four civilians, an Afghan official said on Saturday, and four others were injured, Abdul Karim Jahad, the governor of Spin Boldak district in southern Afghanistan, told AFP.

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The local hospital at the Pakistani border town of Chaman said three people had been discharged after suffering small injuries, according to AFP.

The clashes came just came nearly a week ago after a new round of peace talks between the South Asian neighbours in Saudi Arabia ended without a breakthrough, though both sides agreed to uphold their fragile ceasefire.

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The talks in Saudi Arabia last week were the latest in a series of meetings hosted by Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to cool tensions following deadly border clashes in October.

Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani forces launched attacks in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province.

A spokesman for Pakistan's prime minister accused Afghan forces of "unprovoked firing" along the Chaman border.

"Pakistan remains fully alert and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the safety of our citizens," spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi said in a statement.

At the heart of the dispute, Islamabad says Afghan-based militants have carried out recent attacks in Pakistan, including suicide bombings involving Afghan nationals. Kabul denies the charge, saying it cannot be held responsible for security inside Pakistan.

Dozens were killed in October’s clashes, the worst border violence since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.