Pakistan and Afghan Taliban Trade Heavy Fire Near Spin Boldak, Kill Four Civilians as Residents Flee

Overnight on Dec. 6, heavy fighting erupted near the Spin Boldak–Chaman crossing on the Afghanistan–Pakistan border.

“Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy fire along their border late on Friday, officials from both countries said, amid heightened tensions following failed peace talks earlier this week”

Aaj English TV

Afghan Taliban fighters and Pakistani forces exchanged fire, and Afghan officials reported four civilians killed and several others wounded as residents fled the area.

Aaj English TV

Sources place the start of the clashes around 10:30 p.m. local time and describe the fighting as lasting roughly two hours, while other outlets reported the exchange stretched longer.

The incident occurred amid already fraught ties since the Taliban’s 2021 return to power and recent stalled talks aimed at de-escalation.

Residents and officials described artillery, mortars and mortar shells striking Afghan homes and villages, compounding civilian harm.

Several sources said mortars hit the villages of Mazar and Luqman and families were forced to flee, while footage and eyewitnesses showed damage at key crossing points and people fleeing in panic.

Al Jazeera

Afghan authorities and residents accused Pakistan of using light and heavy artillery and mortars that struck civilian homes, and one source recorded an allegation by Afghan border police that Pakistani forces tossed a hand grenade into Spin Boldak.

Both sides immediately blamed the other for initiating the violence.

“A heavy exchange of fire erupted late Friday night along the Chaman border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with both sides blaming the other for starting the confrontation, Dawn reported”

ANI News

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told outlets that Pakistani forces "launched attacks" or "opened fire."

Pakistan's government spokespeople described the firing as "unprovoked" and said forces gave an "immediate, befitting & intense response."

Some reports note that neither side offered a fully independent, verifiable account of who fired first, leaving the sequence contested in media coverage.

The clashes occur against a backdrop of repeated flare-ups and stalled diplomacy.

Several sources link the latest incident to deadly clashes in October.

Arise News

Qatar- and Turkey-brokered ceasefires and subsequent talks in Doha, Istanbul and Saudi Arabia have failed to prevent renewed violence.

The fighting has widened suspensions of cross-border movement and trade, caused economic losses for border communities, and prompted diplomatic attention, including Pakistan’s statement about allowing U.N. relief convoys through closed crossings.

Afghan officials and local governors reported four civilians killed and others wounded, while Pakistani hospitals and border authorities said they treated three people with minor injuries who were later discharged.

“Fighting broke out close to the Afghan border city of Spin Boldak, which has seen deadly clashes in recent months (pictured October 2025) Border clashes have erupted again between Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban forces, with each sides accusing the other of breaking a fragile ceasefire”

BBC

Some local and regional outlets reported wounded family members, including two in critical condition, underscoring uncertainty and the need for independent verification of casualty figures.

BBC