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2h ago

Pakistan–Afghanistan Border on High Alert After Deadly Clashes Shut Crossings

Diplomatic pressure mounts, with crossings closed and competing claims unresolved.

Smoke rises from a hillside following overnight clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces along the border in the Zazai Maidan district of Khost province, Afghanistan, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Saifullah Zahir)
Trucks stand parked at the Torkham border crossing, after Pakistan closed border crossings with Afghanistan, following exchanges of fire between the forces of the two countries, in Torkham, Pakistan, October 12, 2025. REUTERS/Shahid Shinwari
Afghan servicemen guard along the border in the Zazai Maidan district of Khost province, Afghanistan, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, after overnight clashes with Pakistan's forces. (AP Photo/Saifullah Zahir)
Afghan refugees sit next to their belongings loaded onto vehicles as they wait for the reopening of the border crossing point, which closed after Afghan and Pakistani security forces exchanged fire, at a camp in Chaman, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo)

Overview

  • A pause in major exchanges held into Monday after weekend firefights across multiple frontier posts, with Kabul saying it halted attacks following requests from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
  • Pakistan reported 23 soldiers killed and 29 wounded, claimed to have killed more than 200 Taliban and allied fighters, and said some Afghan-side positions were briefly seized.
  • Taliban officials disputed Islamabad’s account, asserting 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed while acknowledging their own losses, including nine fighters reported by Afghan authorities.
  • Trade and travel were suspended at key gateways including Torkham and Chaman, stranding loaded trucks and travelers on both sides as officials warned of mounting commercial losses.
  • Pakistan framed its actions as self-defence and warned of a “befitting” response to further provocations, while Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and China urged restraint and dialogue, and President Donald Trump said he could help end the conflict.