Deadly Border Clashes Erupt Between Pakistan and Afghanistan

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Kabul and Islamabad trade blame over deadly fighting that has left dozens dead and heightened regional tensions.

By TRH Foreign Affairs Desk

New Delhi, October 12, 2025 —Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed deep concern over escalating violence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, calling on both sides to exercise “dialogue, diplomacy, and restraint” following one of the deadliest cross-border confrontations in years.

In a statement issued from Doha, Qatar urged Islamabad and Kabul to “contain differences in a manner that reduces tension and avoids escalation,” reaffirming its support for regional peace and stability.

The appeal came as Afghanistan’s interim government claimed that its forces had killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight operations along several border points, while Pakistan put the number of its casualties at 23, saying its troops had captured 19 Afghan border posts and killed over 200 Taliban fighters.

Afghanistan Blames Pakistan for Escalation

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, in remarks to media in New Delhi, rejected Pakistan’s accusations that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operates from Afghan soil. “There is no presence of TTP in Afghanistan now,” Muttaqi asserted. “The people living here are Pakistani refugees displaced during Pakistan’s own military operations. The US and its supported government gave them refuge here,” he claimed.

Muttaqi also pointed to the 2,400 km Durand Line, saying that even global powers like Britain, the Soviets, and the US “could not control it.” “Strength alone cannot control this border. If Pakistan wants peace, it should look within — why can’t they control it with a larger army and better intelligence?” he asked.

He accused Islamabad of internalising its security failures and shifting blame to Afghanistan. “This fight is inside Pakistan. Instead of blaming us, they should take their own people into confidence. Why endanger citizens to please a few?” Muttaqi said.

He questioned why China, Iran, and Uzbekistan, which also share borders with Afghanistan, have not raised similar complaints. “The issue lies with Pakistan,” he said.

Islamabad Says ‘Afghan Forces Opened Fire First’

Pakistan’s military rejected Kabul’s narrative, accusing the Afghan Taliban of initiating unprovoked fire along seven points across the frontier.
Islamabad said its troops had retaliated strongly, taking control of multiple Afghan outposts and inflicting “heavy losses” on Taliban fighters.

According to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the clashes left 23 Pakistani soldiers dead and several others injured. Islamabad maintains that its operations were in self-defence following “repeated cross-border attacks” from Afghan territory.

Regional Anxiety Mounts

Reports from Al Arabia English and Al Jazeera showed Afghan Taliban soldiers carrying RPGs and heavy weapons near the frontier after a night of intense clashes. The situation remains tense, though both sides have reportedly paused hostilities following mediation efforts by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Muttaqi confirmed that “Qatar and Saudi Arabia asked us to stop, and hence we stopped.” He added that Afghanistan had achieved its “defensive targets” and remains committed to peace.

“We have brought peace in Afghanistan and we want the same for all. All disputes must be resolved by dialogue. But if someone disagrees, Afghanistan has the capability to protect its borders,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

Qatar Steps In as Diplomatic Bridge

Qatar’s statement — coming amid its growing diplomatic footprint in South Asian conflicts — underscores Doha’s role as a potential mediator. The Gulf state hosted the Doha Agreement that paved the way for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and has since maintained close channels with both Kabul’s Taliban government and Islamabad.

Reiterating its neutral stance, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the State of Qatar “affirms its commitment to ensuring security and prosperity for the brotherly Pakistani and Afghan peoples.”

Analysis: A Fragile Frontier

The Afghanistan–Pakistan border, drawn by the British in 1893 and known as the Durand Line, has long been a flashpoint. With ideological overlaps between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan’s TTP, the line between friend and foe has blurred.

Pakistan once nurtured the Taliban for strategic depth, but now finds itself confronting an ideological mirror image across the border. The border violence highlights how post-US Afghanistan remains both a symbol of sovereignty for the Taliban and a security nightmare for Pakistan.