Pakistan Shuts Down Key Border Crossings After Deadly Clashes with Afghanistan

Islamabad (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – According to Pakistani officials, authorities blocked border crossings with Afghanistan on Sunday after crossfire between the two countries’ forces. 

Afghan troops opened fire at Pakistani border posts late Saturday, saying it was in response to Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan earlier in the week, said Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense.

What triggered the latest clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border?

Late Saturday, fighting erupted along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as the Afghan Taliban attacked Pakistani military posts, security officials from both countries reported. This escalation follows a Pakistani airstrike in Kabul earlier this week.

Pakistani security officials stated they responded “with full force” to what they described as unprovoked firing from Afghanistan. The clashes occurred at over six points along the border, they reported.

Pakistan stated that it had retaliated with gunfire and artillery. Pakistani security officials reported that several Afghan border posts were destroyed in these retaliatory strikes. Security officials also reported that the exchange of fire mostly ended on Sunday morning. However, in Pakistan’s Kurram region, sporadic gunfire persisted, according to local officials and residents.

What prompted Pakistan to shut its key border crossings?

Currently, Pakistan has closed its two primary border crossings with Afghanistan, Torkham and Chaman, according to local officials. Additionally, at least three smaller crossings—Kharlachi, Angoor Adda, and Ghulam Khan—were also shut.

Islamabad stated that its patience with Kabul is waning, but did not confirm or deny involvement in the airstrikes. Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the Pakistani military spokesman, acknowledged the reports of the strikes.

“To protect the lives of the people of Pakistan, we are doing, and will continue to do, whatever is necessary,” Chaudhry told a press conference. “Our demand to Afghanistan: Your soil must not be used for terrorism against Pakistan.”

Did Pakistan target the leader of the TTP in Kabul?

A Pakistani security official reported that a vehicle belonging to TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud was targeted in the Kabul airstrike. His survival status remains uncertain. Pakistan also alleges that India, a regional major power, is backing the TTP via Afghanistan.

Landlocked Afghanistan shares a 2,600 km border with Pakistan. Islamabad alleges that the Taliban government shelters militants responsible for attacks in Pakistan, a claim that Kabul denies. The TTP has been working to overthrow the Islamabad government and establish a strict Islamic-led system. It maintains a close relationship with the Afghan Taliban.