Escalating Tensions: Clashes Along the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border

Clashes have erupted between the Pakistan army and the Taliban along the Durand Line. The conflict has created a geo-political twist given that the Taliban has been a longstanding ally of Pakistan and the latter supported the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan 3 years ago. 

On March 18, airstrikes were carried out by Pakistan in the Khost and Paktika provinces bordering Afghanistan. These strikes, occurring in the early morning hours, specifically targeted militants associated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and resulted in the deaths of at least eight individuals.

The timing of these airstrikes coincides with a deadly attack on a military post in Mir Ali, North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, claimed by the newly formed militant group Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad. This group is suspected to comprise mainly TTP members, suggesting a retaliatory motive behind Pakistan's actions. Seven soldiers were killed in the Mir Ali attack, prompting a swift response from Pakistani troops, who neutralised all six attackers in a shootout. Additionally, seven members of this group were eliminated in an intelligence-driven operation conducted in the Madi Khel region of North Waziristan on Sunday evening. 

Despite the lack of clarity regarding the depth of penetration into Afghan territory by Pakistani jets, these airstrikes mark the first such operations since 2022 when Pakistan targeted militant hideouts in Afghanistan. The resumption of airstrikes underscores the persistent security challenges along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the ongoing threat posed by transnational militant networks.

Chief Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned Pakistan's airstrikes, alleging civilian casualties, including 5 women and 3 children, in the districts of Barmal in Paktika province and Khost province. Mujahid emphasised that such attacks violate Afghanistan's sovereignty and warned of dire consequences.

In retaliation, the Taliban security forces targeted Pakistani troops at the border. Locals in Kurram, a western district in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, confirmed the Taliban's shelling of the area, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage resulting from the shelling.

The security dynamics along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border remain intricate, marked by cross-border militant activities and retaliatory measures. While the Afghan Taliban maintain they do not harbour militant groups targeting Pakistan, recent escalations by the TTP within Pakistan strain relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Additionally, Islamabad's expulsion of Afghans without valid documents further complicates the situation.