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Pakistan, Taliban clash after Afghan kills guard at border, crossing closed for trade

Pakistan, Taliban clash after Afghan kills guard at border, crossing closed for trade

On Sunday, 8 Pakistanis, 1 Afghan soldier were killed near the Chaman crossing

A major clash erupted between the Taliban and Pakistani forces near a border at Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak district, which was later shut down for trading and transit.

Deputy Commissioner of Chahman town, which borders Spin Boldak, told Reuters news agency that firing took place between the security forces on Sunday due to some “misunderstanding”.

"Firing continued until late at night from both sides," Zehri said, adding that trade and border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan had been suspended at Chahman.

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He said that the clashes started when a man coming from the Afghan side of the border crossing shot a Pakistani security force member and wounded others.

The total number of casualties on both sides was not immediately clear. Thousands of people travel through the crossing daily, making it the main trading point.

A spokesperson for the Taliban administration's interior ministry said that the incident was being investigated.

Confirming the incident, a spokesperson for the media wing of Pakistan's military said they were looking into the situation.

According to officials, hundreds of trucks containing goods were stuck waiting on both sides of the border.

The scrimmage between the neighbouring nation’s border forces has become frequent ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021. There have been several reports of clashes emanating primarily due to border disputes.

The Taliban has attempted to block Pakistan's plans to finish fencing the 2,600 km border, which was drawn by British colonial rulers with no consideration for the Pashtun tribes it divided.

(With inputs from agencies)

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