Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Tensions Escalate: Fresh Clash in Gulistan After Strikes on 10 Afghan Sites

New Delhi: Tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border have escalated further, with fresh clashes reported in the Gulistan sector of Balochistan. Pakistani security sources said Afghan Taliban fighters attempted to enter Pakistani territory, prompting a retaliatory response from Pakistani forces.

According to Pakistan’s official account, several Afghan Taliban fighters were killed in the exchange. The claim has not been independently verified, and there was no immediate confirmation from the Afghan Taliban regarding the reported casualties.

Intermittent Firing Reported Along Border
Pakistan’s security authorities said the attempted infiltration took place on Thursday in the Gulistan sector along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistani forces reportedly responded to the alleged incursion, while intermittent firing continued in the area.

Security forces have remained on heightened alert and said they are prepared to respond to further attempts at infiltration from Afghan territory.

The latest clash comes amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Islamabad and Kabul, with both sides trading accusations over cross-border attacks and militant activity.

Pakistan Strikes 10 Locations in Afghanistan
The latest confrontation follows Pakistan’s announcement on September 24 that it had carried out precision aerial and drone strikes at 10 locations in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes were conducted in response to drones that Pakistan said had entered its airspace from Afghanistan. Islamabad said its air-defence systems had detected and neutralised the intruding drones before they could reach their intended targets.

Tarar said the 10 locations targeted in Afghanistan were allegedly being used to launch or store drones. Pakistan described the operation as a self-defence measure and said the strikes were limited to what it identified as military objectives linked to the alleged drone attacks.

Reports citing Pakistani security sources said eight drones had been shot down.

Afghanistan Reports Civilian Casualties
Afghan authorities have disputed aspects of Pakistan’s account of the strikes. Reports said Afghan officials reported civilian casualties following the September 24 attacks, while Kabul condemned the strikes and indicated that it would respond.

The latest developments follow another round of Pakistani airstrikes on September 21. Pakistan said those strikes targeted militant hideouts in Kunar and Paktika and claimed 28 militants were killed. Afghan authorities and the UN, however, reported civilian deaths in the attacks.

Cross-Border Tensions Continue to Mount
The latest clash is part of a broader escalation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier, with recent incidents involving alleged infiltration attempts, drone incursions, shelling and airstrikes.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of allowing militant groups to operate from Afghan territory. Kabul has denied the allegations and has objected to Pakistani military operations inside Afghanistan.

With fresh fighting now reported in the Gulistan sector following Pakistan’s strikes on 10 Afghan locations, tensions between the two neighbours remain high and the risk of further cross-border confrontation continues.