Kabul/Islamabad, October 12, 2025
Afghanistan–Pakistan Border Clashes, We say that the rivalry between Afghanistan and Pakistan worsened overnight with the outbreak of heavy cross-border fighting on Saturday, October 11. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence reported that 58 Pakistani soldiers among the dead in the exchange — a number not confirmed by Pakistan. After the fighting, Pakistan shut all major border crossings with Afghanistan on Sunday.
We Report Overnight Firefights
We discovered that the Afghan soldiers fired at Pakistani border outposts late on Saturday evening, claiming the action was a response to Pakistani airstrikes during the week. Pakistan retaliated with artillery and gunfire, and the intense firefight broke out at several points across the frontier, Afghanistan–Pakistan Border Clashes.
Officially, the heaviest clashes occurred near Kurram and Chaman, where both countries claimed to have knocked down each other’s border outposts. Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry reported 20 of its troops killed or wounded.
By midnight local time, Afghan officials reported that their operation had concluded following appeals from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, who called for both sides to stop fighting and end the tensions.
We Note Conflicting Casualty Claims
In its release, the Afghan Ministry of Defence claimed that 58 Pakistani soldiers killed, although it did not state how the number confirmed. The ministry also released videos that claimed to of Pakistani positions targeted.
Pakistani security authorities, however, refuted Afghan allegations and claimed that they had caused heavy losses to Afghan troops, although no specifics were provided. Both nations shared different videos purporting to demonstrate enemy positions under fire, but we observe that independent confirmation is still not possible because access to the combat zone is limited.
We Report on Border Closures
We verified from local authorities that Pakistan shut its two principal border crossings with Afghanistan — Torkham and Chaman — on Sunday, October 12. Three minor crossing points at Kharlachi, Angoor Adda, and Ghulam Khan also closed.
The closures took an immediate toll on the trade and movement between the two countries, stranding hundreds of trucks and travelers on either side. With Afghanistan relying heavily on Pakistan for trade routes and imports, the closure represents a serious economic issue for Kabul.
We Trace the Source of the Clashes
We discovered that the most recent escalation is a result of Pakistani air strikes in Kabul on October 9, which said to aimed at the leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group. Islamabad has not officially confirmed the strikes, but Pakistani officials said privately that they were intended to kill top TTP leaders.
It is not known if the TTP leader was killed. The militant organization has been struggling for decades to overthrow Pakistan’s government and create an Islamic system of government.
We Analyze Kabul’s Reaction and International Mediation
Taliban representative Zabihullah Mujahid said the Afghan government would protect its sovereignty and denied claims of harbouring TTP militants. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/
“There is no type of threat anywhere in Afghanistan’s territory,” Mujahid explained. “The Islamic Emirate and Afghan people will defend their country and be firm in this defence.”
We also noted that both Qatar and Saudi Arabia issued statements with concern and a call for restraint. Kabul confirmed that it had suspended further attacks after these diplomatic calls.
We Highlight Ongoing Tensions
Ties between Islamabad and Kabul have strained since 2021 when the Taliban returned to power. Pakistan still accuses the Taliban of harboring TTP militants that stage cross-border attacks, something that the Taliban government vehemently denies.
Sporadic shooting still heard as of Sunday afternoon, although the situation largely contained, local officials in Pakistan’s Kurram region informed us.
We observe that both adversaries are on high alert, and analysts caution that this face-off may put additional strain on already tenuous relations between the two neighbours.
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