The 2024 Afghanistan–Pakistan clashes are a series of ongoing armed clashes consisting of cross-border airstrikes and exchanges of gunfire between
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
and
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. The conflict also separately includes the
Balochistan Liberation Army
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is a Baloch ethnonationalist militant organization based in the Balochistan region. Operating primarily from safe havens scattered across southern Afghanistan, BLA perpetrates attacks in neighboring Paki ...
(BLA), and
Pakistani Taliban
The Pakistani Taliban, officially the Tehreek-i-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border. Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current ...
. The skirmishes took place over many locations along the
Afghanistan-Pakistan border, including
North Waziristan
North Waziristan District (, ) is a Districts of Pakistan, district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering . The capital ...
,
South Waziristan
South Mahsud Waziristan District () was a Districts of Pakistan, district in the Dera Ismail Khan Division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, before splitting into the Lower South Waziristan District and the Upper South Waziristan D ...
,
Wana,
Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan (; Urdu and , ), abbreviated as D.I. Khan, is a city and capital of Dera Ismail Khan District, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 10th largest city of Pakistan and third or fourth largest in the province of Khy ...
,
Shangla
Shangla District (, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The district's headquarters are located at Alpuri, while the largest city and commercial center is Besham. The district was established in 1995, having p ...
,
Khost
Khōst () is the capital of Khost Province in Afghanistan. It is the largest city in the southeastern part of the country, and also the largest in the region of Loya Paktia. To the south and east of Khost lie Waziristan and Kurram Agency, Kurram i ...
, and
Paktika
Paktika (Pashto: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000 residents, who are mostly ethnic Pashtuns but smal ...
. Subsequent attacks were also launched in
Turbat
Turbat (Urdu and ) is a city in the southern region of Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is the administrative centre of Kech District. Turbat is the second-largest city in Balochistan after Quetta and the 35th largest city in the coun ...
and
Gwadar
Gwadar (, ) is a Port, port city on the southwestern coast of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Balochistan, Pakistan, Balochistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea, opposite Oman and has a populati ...
in
Balochistan province
Balochistan (; ; , ) is a province of Pakistan. Located in the southwestern region of the country, Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan by land area but is the least populated one. It is bordered by the Pakistani provinces of Khybe ...
, by the
Balochistan Liberation Army
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is a Baloch ethnonationalist militant organization based in the Balochistan region. Operating primarily from safe havens scattered across southern Afghanistan, BLA perpetrates attacks in neighboring Paki ...
. Militant attacks on
CPEC and Pakistani military bases accommodating US aircraft pose a threat to Chinese and American interests in Pakistan.
After de-escalation in March 2024, the conflict resurged in December 2024 with Pakistani airstrikes against Afghanistan, specifically in
Paktika Province
Paktika (Pashto: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000 residents, who are mostly ethnic Pashtuns but sma ...
.
Conflict in December marked the third round of air strikes by Pakistan on the territory of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
in a period less than two years. The first similar
Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan soil came in 2022 and the second Pakistani airstrikes occurred in March 2024. The third and most latest round of Pakistani air strikes on Afghan soil came in December 2024.
Background
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a militant group that was established in 2007 as a coalition of various hardline Sunni Islamist factions in Pakistan. This formation came in response to military actions against
Al-Qaida
, image = Flag of Jihad.svg
, caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions
, founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden
, leaders = {{Plainlist,
* Osama bin Lad ...
-affiliated terrorists in the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), an area in northwest Pakistan.
The group, led initially by
Baitullah Mehsud
Baitullah Mehsud ( – 5 August 2009) was a Pakistani militant. He was one of the founders and a leader of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) in Waziristan. He formed the TTP from an alliance of about five militant groups in December 2007.Abbas, Hassan ...
, is primarily located along the border with Afghanistan and is estimated to have between 30,000 and 35,000 members. TTP aims to overthrow Pakistan's elected government to create an emirate governed by its interpretation of Islamic law. To achieve this goal, the TTP has attacked the Pakistani military and assassinated political figures. Their violent actions, including numerous suicide bombings, have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of military personnel, police, and civilians.
TTP has been responsible for some of the most devastating attacks in Pakistan, targeting churches, schools, and notable figures like
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai (; , pronunciation: ; born 12 July 1997) is a Pakistani female education activist, film and television producer, and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17. She is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history, ...
, who survived an assassination attempt in 2012 for advocating women's education against Taliban restrictions.
Following the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan in 2021, TTP has become more aggressive, as its leaders and fighters are based in Afghanistan. After ending a cease-fire with the Pakistani government in late 2022, TTP has intensified its attacks, causing casualties among Pakistani soldiers and police.
While Pakistan has been accused of supporting the Afghan Taliban in the past, after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Afghanistan and Pakistan have repeatedly broken out border conflicts. The Pakistani government accuses the Afghan Taliban authorities of harboring the
Pakistani Taliban
The Pakistani Taliban, officially the Tehreek-i-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border. Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current ...
rebels in its growing insurgency.
March 2024
On 16 March 2024, militants detonated a truck bomb and fired at Pakistani soldiers at a border checkpost. Five Pakistani soldiers were killed in the truck bombing, and two more were killed in the firing. Six attackers were also killed, according to
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...
, who stated that the attackers used Afghanistan as a base for the attack. A militant group known as Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad took responsibility for the attack; Pakistani officials believe the members to be part of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP).
Afghanistan led by the
Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
denied that the perpetrators were from their territory.
On 17 March 2024,
President of Pakistan
The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari (born 26 July 1955) is a Pakistani politician serving as the 14th president of Pakistan since 2024, having held the same office from 2008 to 2013. He is the president of Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians and was the ...
vowed strong retaliation against perpetrators of the attack.
PAF airstrikes
On 18 March 2024, in response to the attack from Afghanistan,
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...
carried out two intelligence based airstrikes on Afghanistan's eastern border provinces of
Khost
Khōst () is the capital of Khost Province in Afghanistan. It is the largest city in the southeastern part of the country, and also the largest in the region of Loya Paktia. To the south and east of Khost lie Waziristan and Kurram Agency, Kurram i ...
and
Paktika
Paktika (Pashto: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000 residents, who are mostly ethnic Pashtuns but smal ...
. The Afghan government claim that Pakistan killed five women and three children. Pakistan denies this, claiming that it killed terrorists instead while targeting the
Hafiz Gul Bahadur militant group, a splinter organization of the
Pakistani Taliban
The Pakistani Taliban, officially the Tehreek-i-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border. Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current ...
, and that it had successfully killed Sehra alias Janan, a high-value target commander. Another commander, Abdullah Mehsud, was claimed to have been killed, but later released a video refuting the claim. It was also reported that Mehsud's house was targeted in which his wife and a minor son was killed. Pakistan went on to blame the
Pakistani Taliban
The Pakistani Taliban, officially the Tehreek-i-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border. Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current ...
and its splinter militias for the deaths of hundreds of Pakistani civilians, and claimed that they used
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
as a base and that they had support from within the
Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
.
In response to the airstrikes, the
Afghan Defense Ministry stated it was targeting numerous Pakistani positions across the border.
Mortar firing from the Afghan side injured more than four civilians and three military personnel in
Kurram District
Kurram District () is a district in the Kohat Division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The name Kurram comes from the river ''Kwarma'' () in Pashto, which itself derives from the Sanskrit word ''Krumu'' ().
Until 2018, it funct ...
.
A Pakistani captain was also killed and 2 other soldiers injured by the shelling.
Taliban officials did not disclose their losses, however, the local Afghans reported the death of a soldier of the Afghan army in the clashes. Skirmishes were also reported in the hilly areas surrounding the
Angoor Adda border crossing of
South Waziristan
South Mahsud Waziristan District () was a Districts of Pakistan, district in the Dera Ismail Khan Division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, before splitting into the Lower South Waziristan District and the Upper South Waziristan D ...
but no casualties were reported .
It was also reported that in the areas around
Wanna, the artillery munitions struck close to the
bunker
A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...
s on both sides of the border but no casualties were reported.
Subsequent attacks
On March 20, separatist militants belonging to
Balochistan Liberation Army
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is a Baloch ethnonationalist militant organization based in the Balochistan region. Operating primarily from safe havens scattered across southern Afghanistan, BLA perpetrates attacks in neighboring Paki ...
attacked the
Gwadar
Gwadar (, ) is a Port, port city on the southwestern coast of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Balochistan, Pakistan, Balochistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea, opposite Oman and has a populati ...
port complex. The attack failed due to the rapid response of the Pakistani security forces. The clash killed eight BLA militants and two Pakistani soldiers. The
Chief Minister of Balochistan
The Chief Minister of Balochistan () is the head of government of the of Balochistan. The prime minister leads the legislative branch of the Government of Balochistan, and is elected by the Provincial Assembly. Given that he has the assembly' ...
claimed that the BLA attackers came from
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
and were provided shelter by the Afghan government.
On 22 March, a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a military convoy passing through
Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan (; Urdu and , ), abbreviated as D.I. Khan, is a city and capital of Dera Ismail Khan District, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 10th largest city of Pakistan and third or fourth largest in the province of Khy ...
; this attack resulted in the death of two Pakistani soldiers and wounding of 15 others. In response to this attack Pakistan vowed a strong retaliation against terrorism.
On 25 March, Balochistan Liberation Army's Majeed Brigade attacked Pakistan's second largest Naval Base
PNS Siddique
Pakistan Naval Station Siddique, known as PNS Siddique () formerly known as Naval Air Station, Turbat, is a naval air station and a military airport located in Turbat, Turbat city of Makran, Balochistan. It is one of four active Pakistan Naval ...
in Turbat which houses American as well as Chinese aircraft.
This attack was foiled by Pakistani Security forces. In this attack, 6 BLA militants were killed by the
Frontier Corps
The Frontier Corps (, reporting name: FC) are a group of four paramilitary forces of Pakistan, operating in the provinces of Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to maintain law and order while overseeing the country's b ...
outside the perimeter of the base while one Pakistani soldier was killed.
On 26 March 2024, in
Shangla District
Shangla District (, ) is a Districts of Pakistan, district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The district's headquarters are located at Alpuri, while the largest city and commercial center is Besham. The district was establish ...
,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ; , ; abbr. KP or KPK), formerly known as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Northern Pakistan, northwestern region of the country, Khyber ...
, Pakistan, a suicide bomber
attacked a bus transporting five Chinese laborers and their Pakistani driver on their way to the
Dasu Dam
The Dasu Dam is a large (largest run of the river dam in world) hydroelectric gravity dam currently under construction on the Indus River near Dasu in Kohistan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is developed by Pakistan Water a ...
, killing all of them. Pakistan police detained more than 12 people, including some Afghan nationals. But the
Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
government in Afghanistan has repeatedly denied giving safe haven to militants.
Pakistan's
Defence Minister
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
Khawaja Asif
Khawaja Muhammad Asif (born 9 August 1949) is a Pakistani politician who has served as the Defence Minister of Pakistan since 2022. Asif previously served as Defence Minister from 2013 to 2017 until the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif and serv ...
in an interview to
BBC Urdu
BBC Urdu () is a digital television station covering the Indian subcontinent in the Urdu language. It was the Urdu language station of the BBC World Service, accompanied by its website, which served as a news portal and provided online access to ...
stated that, "It’s correct that we have been carrying out operations in Afghanistan, and we will continue to do so. We won’t serve them with cake and pastries. If attacked, we’ll attack back."
September 2024
On 7 September 2024, the
Taliban border guards of Afghanistan clashed with
Frontier Corps
The Frontier Corps (, reporting name: FC) are a group of four paramilitary forces of Pakistan, operating in the provinces of Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to maintain law and order while overseeing the country's b ...
of Pakistan. The conflict erupted at the
Kurram district
Kurram District () is a district in the Kohat Division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The name Kurram comes from the river ''Kwarma'' () in Pashto, which itself derives from the Sanskrit word ''Krumu'' ().
Until 2018, it funct ...
bordering
Khost
Khōst () is the capital of Khost Province in Afghanistan. It is the largest city in the southeastern part of the country, and also the largest in the region of Loya Paktia. To the south and east of Khost lie Waziristan and Kurram Agency, Kurram i ...
province of Afghanistan. The skirmish reportedly broke out when Taliban forces attempted to construct a security outpost on the Afghan side of the
Pakistan-Afghanistan border barrier, prompting Pakistani troops to open fire to force the other side to stop the activity. Heavy clashes had injured at least five Pakistani soldiers, including an officer while in Pakistan's retaliation at least eight
Afghan Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present)
, leader2_title = Gov ...
fighters were killed including two
Taliban Army commanders and 16 others injured in the early hours of 7 September. One soviet-era
T-62 tank operated by Afghan Taliban was destroyed by the Pakistani forces.
December 2024
On 21 December, at least 16 soldiers are killed in an attack by the Pakistani Taliban on an outpost in South Waziristan, eight insurgents were also killed in the clash.
On 25 December 2024, the
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...
launched precision airstrikes in response to the 21 December attack, on seven locations located across four villages of
Barmal District
Barmal District (, ) is a district of Paktika Province, Afghanistan. It shares a border with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Pakistan. The Angur Ada is the official border checkpoint and border crossing between the people of Paktika and K ...
of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
Paktika
Paktika (Pashto: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000 residents, who are mostly ethnic Pashtuns but smal ...
province initially claiming to have killing 20-25 terrorists. The villages targeted by PAF included Laman, Margha, and Murg Bazaar. Reports indicate that the Murg Bazaar village in Barmal was completely destroyed. 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" training 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" centre of TTP, being headed by the TTP's commander Shoaib Iqbal alias Muneeb Jatt, from where the TTP propagated its digital propaganda.
Afghan Taliban's Defence Ministry, the
Afghan Taliban regime official spokesperson
Zabiullah Mujahid
Zabihullah Mujahid (; ''Ẕabīḥullāh Mujāhid'' ; also spelled Dhabih Allah Mujahid) is an Afghan spokesperson who has been the chief spokesman for the internationally unrecognized Taliban regime of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan since 25 O ...
confirmed reports of the strike carried out by Pakistani forces, but claimed that the dead and injured included a number of children and other civilians.Taliban spokesperson
Zabiullah Mujahid
Zabihullah Mujahid (; ''Ẕabīḥullāh Mujāhid'' ; also spelled Dhabih Allah Mujahid) is an Afghan spokesperson who has been the chief spokesman for the internationally unrecognized Taliban regime of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan since 25 O ...
confirmed reports of the strikes carried out by Pakistani forces but claimed that the dead and injured included a number of children and other civilians; it said that 46 people had been killed, most of whom were children and women, and 6 more people were wounded, mostly children. The PAF's strikes mark third instance of Pakistan launching attack on Afghan soil since the
fall of Kabul. The Pakistan airstrikes coincided with the birthday of
Pakistan's founder.
The Afghan Government reported that 46 people had been killed and 6 wounded, with the casualties including children. Five women and children were confirmed casualties as a result of the airstrikes.
Afghanistan's foreign office called in Pakistan's top diplomat in
Kabul
Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...
to hand over a formal complaint and cautioned the diplomat about the potential repercussions of such military actions.
Enayatullah Khowrazmi, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense (Afghanistan) said that, "Afghanistan considers this brutal act a blatant violation of all international principles and an obvious act of aggression, The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered."
Pakistani military sources have anonymously have admitted that airstrikes were carried out by Pakistan originating from inside Pakistani airspace, but later said that
drone strikes
Drone warfare is a form of warfare using military drones or military robots. The robots may be remote controlled or have varying levels of autonomy during their mission. Types of robots include unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) or weaponi ...
were involved.
This marks the third airstrike launched by Pakistan on Afghanistan since the
fall of Kabul in 2021. The
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan ('UNAMA'') is a UN Special Political Mission tasked with assisting the people of Afghanistan.
UNAMA was established on 28 March 2002 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1401.
Revi ...
(UNAMA) said that it had received credible reports of dozens of civilians killed, including women and children.
Pakistan's foreign ministry did not directly comment on the strikes but said the armed forces conducted “operations in border areas to protect the people of Pakistan from terrorist groups” and further added, “These counterterrorism operations are carefully selected and based on accurate intelligence”.
On 26 December 2024, Afghan and Pakistani forces exchanged fire at the border between
Dand Aw Patan and
Kurram, with no casualties or damage initially reported by either side.
On 27 December, Afghan and Pakistani border troops exchanged fire for several hours in Dand Aw Patan.
Some civilian homes were damaged by Pakistani rockets.
Two soldiers were killed and 11 were wounded in skirmishes in
Bajaur District
Bajaur District (, ), formerly Bajaur Agency, is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Prior to 2018, Bajaur Agency was the northernmost component of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-a ...
, heavy casualties were also reported amongst the insurgents.
On 28 December, fighting broke out again as the Afghan Defence Ministry claimed to have attacked "several points" across the border with Pakistan. A security source told
AFP that one Pakistani paramilitary was killed and seven others wounded
while seven to eight Taliban were reported to have been killed in retaliatory skirmishes. Pakistani security sources reported two incursions and that over 15 TTP militants and Afghan Taliban were killed, and that counter-fire forced the Afghan Taliban to abandon six posts, while three Pakistani soldiers were injured and none killed.
TOLOnews
Tolo News (Dari and Pashto: ), stylized TOLOnews, is an Afghan news channel and website broadcasting from Kabul. Owned by the Moby Media Group, it was launched in August 2010 as Afghanistan's first twenty-four hour news channel.
TOLOnews is av ...
reported that five were killed and three wounded by a Pakistani mortar shell. Pakistan security forces released videos purportedly showing several Afghan border posts being attacked by the Pakistani forces.
In the early hours of 29 December, militants launched a third infiltration attempt targeting a border military post in
South Waziristan
South Mahsud Waziristan District () was a Districts of Pakistan, district in the Dera Ismail Khan Division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, before splitting into the Lower South Waziristan District and the Upper South Waziristan D ...
. The attack was repulsed, and at least 7 militants were killed. Also on 29 December, an explosion targeted the Taliban
Ministry of Interior Affairs in Kabul, killing 10 Taliban fighters and wounding five more. The
National Resistance Front of Afghanistan
The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) is a military alliance of former Northern Alliance members and other anti-Taliban fighters loyal to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Its founder and leader is Ahmad Massoud, who mobilized t ...
claimed responsibility, and said that a Taliban commander was killed and three military vehicles destroyed.
[At least 10 Taliban fighters killed in Kabul ministry attack as tensions with Pakistan escalate]
/ref>
On 30 December 2024, 15,000 Taliban troops were deployed to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in response to the ongoing skirmishes. The force included multiple battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
level units armed with Soviet-era Tanks and Humvee
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of Military light utility vehicle, light, four-wheel drive Military vehicle#Military trucks, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It ...
s left following the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.[Afghan Taliban's attacks on Pakistan raise fears of all-out war]
/ref> Afghan forces also claimed to have conducted Artillery strikes and reported skirmishes with Pakistan on 30 December.[ ]Pakistani Taliban
The Pakistani Taliban, officially the Tehreek-i-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border. Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current ...
released a video showing the capture of border post in Bajaur District
Bajaur District (, ), formerly Bajaur Agency, is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Prior to 2018, Bajaur Agency was the northernmost component of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-a ...
on 30 December, the post was already vacated and Pakistani forces claimed that the troops were already transferred from that post to newer more fortified posts along the border.
On 31 December 2024, reports claimed that Pakistani military had entered Wakhan corridor
The Wakhan Corridor (; ) is a narrow strip of territory in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. This corridor stretches eastward, connecting Afghanistan to Xinjiang, China. It also separates the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajiki ...
and was preparing to seize the region, but the local Taliban sources denied Pakistani presence in the region.
January 2025
On 1 January 2025, an MPA of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, Anwar Zaib Khan, claimed that 400 militants from Afghanistan had captured fifteen border posts along the border in Bajaur District
Bajaur District (, ), formerly Bajaur Agency, is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Prior to 2018, Bajaur Agency was the northernmost component of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-a ...
, raising the flags of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
and began fortifying their newly acquired positions and that the local residents began fleeing the area expecting an imminent large scale operation by the Pakistan Armed Forces
The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consists of three uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are backe ...
.
On 2 January 2025, Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
alleged that the Afghan Taliban government had demanded PKR 10 Billion for the removal and transfer of Pakistani Taliban and their forces away from the border regions, but the Afghan Government denied the allegation. Limited light skirmishes between the two sides continued.
On 3 January 2025, a projectile from Pakistan targeted a civilian area in Alisher area of Khost province
Khost (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan located in the southeastern part of the country. Khost consists of thirteen districts and the city of Khost serves as the capital of the province. Historically, Khost used to be a par ...
, destroying a guest room connected to a house. Skirmishes between both sides at the border were reported by local sources.[ According to Afghan media, around 1:30 AM, Pakistani forces fired rockets at Taliban positions, and the Afghan army retaliated with heavy artillery. The situation reportedly calmed just before dawn. At least three villages in Afghanistan Airukam, Kaga, and Garab were reportedly hit by Pakistani mortar strikes. On the night of 3 January 2025, ]Afghan Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present)
, leader2_title = Gov ...
and Pakistani Taliban
The Pakistani Taliban, officially the Tehreek-i-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border. Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current ...
launched joint raids targeting Pakistani Border Posts, in the Spinwam Area of North Waziristan
North Waziristan District (, ) is a Districts of Pakistan, district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering . The capital ...
.
On 6 January 2025, an RPG fired by Afghan Taliban struck a football field in North Waziristan
North Waziristan District (, ) is a Districts of Pakistan, district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering . The capital ...
during an ongoing match, three players were wounded.[
On 7 January 2025, 3 Pakistani soldiers and 19 insurgents were killed in raids conducted by the military in northwest areas bordering Afghanistan. On 7 January 2025, a mortar shell launched from Afghanistan struck ]Mohmand District
Mohmand District (, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an Federally Administered Tribal Areas#Administrative divisions, agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas, with merger ...
in Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, no casualties was reported.
On 9 January 2025, Pakistani attack helicopter
An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive (military), offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their ...
s struck Bajaur district
Bajaur District (, ), formerly Bajaur Agency, is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Prior to 2018, Bajaur Agency was the northernmost component of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-a ...
in the areas where the border posts had been occupied by the TTP.[An exchange of firing was reported between Pakistan and Afghanistan's border forces in Sarkano district of Kunar province in Eastern Afghanistan, corresponding to Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa earlier this morning. After the mortar shells landed hundreds of families left their homes, locals in Kunar told The Khorasan Diary. Reports had emerged of helicopter shelling in Bajaur's Salarzai area close to the border yesterday, but there was no official confirmation. The area has been in the thickets of violence after a video of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan appeared while hoisting their flag, which according to Pakistani officials was an abandoned post. There were no comments from Pakistan or Afghanistan on the recent firing on the border: Our Correspondents/Local Sources]
/ref>[
On 10 January 2025, Pakistani and Afghan forces skirmished in Sarkano district of ]Kunar province
Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- ...
adjacent to Bajaur district
Bajaur District (, ), formerly Bajaur Agency, is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Prior to 2018, Bajaur Agency was the northernmost component of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-a ...
with mortar shelling reported in residential areas prompting hundreds of civilians to vacate.[ An Afghan Taliban soldier was killed and two others severely were wounded when a Pakistani mortar hit an afghan bunker during these skirmishes and exchanges of fire.][ Pakistani forces also launched rockets in ]Kunar province
Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- ...
, killing 10 livestock. The exchange included over 50 rounds of rockets and shells. 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. [
On the night of 18-19 January 2025, Pakistani forces killed five ]Pakistani Taliban
The Pakistani Taliban, officially the Tehreek-i-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border. Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current ...
insurgents attempting to infiltrate Pakistan's Zhob District
Zhob District (, ) is a district in the northwestern part of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The population of Zhob District was estimated at 355,692 in 2023. Water from Zhob River is used for irrigation in the district.
Administration
The 199 ...
from Afghanistan.
On 23 January, the Afghan Taliban claimed that "terrorists" (National Resistance Front of Afghanistan
The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) is a military alliance of former Northern Alliance members and other anti-Taliban fighters loyal to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Its founder and leader is Ahmad Massoud, who mobilized t ...
) were being deployed by Pakistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in order to conduct attacks inside Afghanistan, and six insurgents attempting to infiltrate the border were killed by Pakistani forces in Zhob District
Zhob District (, ) is a district in the northwestern part of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The population of Zhob District was estimated at 355,692 in 2023. Water from Zhob River is used for irrigation in the district.
Administration
The 199 ...
.
February 2025
Since 3 February 2025, sporadic small scale clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces were reported in Bahram Chah district of Helmand province, prompting Afghanistan to evacuate civilians from the area. Both sides reinforced their positions and Taliban started blocking roads in the area. The 205th Corps of Kandahar was deployed by Taliban to reinforce the region.
On 16 February, a senior commander of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (, "Assembly of the Free," abbreviated as JuA) was a terrorist organization that split away from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in August 2014. The group came to prominence after it claimed responsibility for the 2014 Wagah border su ...
faction of the Pakistani Taliban
The Pakistani Taliban, officially the Tehreek-i-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border. Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current ...
was wounded as his vehicle was intercepted near the border. On the same day, there was a confrontation between Pakistan and Afghanistan border forces on Torkham border crossing from both sides, firing on both sides started between Khyber District
Khyber District (, ) is a district in the Peshawar Division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas. With the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in ...
and the corresponding Nangarhar province
Nangarhār (Pashto: ; Dari: ), also called Nangrahar or Ningrahar, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country and Border, bordering Logar Province, Logar, Kabul Province, Kabul, Laghman Province, Laghm ...
as well as Mohmand District
Mohmand District (, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an Federally Administered Tribal Areas#Administrative divisions, agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas, with merger ...
and the corresponding Kunar province
Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- ...
, officials on both sides confirmed no casualties.[
On 18 February, two Pakistani soldiers were killed in a skirmish with Afghan Taliban forces in ]Mohmand District
Mohmand District (, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an Federally Administered Tribal Areas#Administrative divisions, agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas, with merger ...
.[
On 20 February, a Pakistani soldier was wounded during skirmishes with Afghan forces on the Ghakhi Pass border post in ]Bajaur District
Bajaur District (, ), formerly Bajaur Agency, is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Prior to 2018, Bajaur Agency was the northernmost component of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-a ...
.[
]
March 2025
Between 2-3 March 2025, Pakistan's Frontier Corps
The Frontier Corps (, reporting name: FC) are a group of four paramilitary forces of Pakistan, operating in the provinces of Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to maintain law and order while overseeing the country's b ...
and Afghanistan's Taliban border guards exchanged fire.[ 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.]
On March 3-4, clashes erupted once again, with Pakistan reporting that the Taliban was constructing a post on Pakistani soil. The border crossing was shut and a clash ensued, a Taliban soldier was killed and two Taliban soldiers were injured, while 4 Pakistani FC personnel were injured.
On 7 March, Pakistan claimed to have captured four insurgents that had crossed into Balochistan
Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...
after crossing the border from Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
.4 terrorists arrested near Pak-Afghan border in Balochistan: state media
/ref>
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Afghanistan-Pakistan skirmishes (2024-present)
Afghanistan–Pakistan border
March 2024 in Afghanistan
March 2024 in Pakistan
Airstrikes conducted by Pakistan