Pakistan has rejected Afghanistan’s claim that its forces destroyed a Pakistani military post near Spin Boldak, presenting a different account of the latest confrontation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence said Pakistani forces opened fire towards Afghan territory near Spin Boldak in Kandahar, prompting Afghan personnel to respond. Kabul claimed that its forces destroyed a Pakistani military post during the exchange and said its personnel suffered no casualties.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information disputed the Afghan account, saying that no Pakistani military post had been destroyed and describing the claim as fabricated.
According to the Pakistani government, Pakistani security forces instead repelled an attempted incursion in the Gulistan sector during the night of September 24 and 25. Islamabad said its forces subsequently targeted Taliban positions across the border.
Pakistani authorities claimed that at least 13 Afghan Taliban personnel were killed and several others were injured during the response. Afghanistan has disputed the casualty figures provided by Pakistan.
Pakistan also released footage that it said showed the border engagement and the response by its security forces. The competing accounts have not been independently verified.
The latest confrontation comes amid a broader deterioration in relations between Islamabad and Kabul. Tensions have increased following a series of security incidents and Pakistan’s repeated concerns about militant groups that it says operate from Afghan territory.
Pakistan has linked militant violence inside the country to groups it alleges maintain bases or networks in Afghanistan and has repeatedly called on the Taliban government to take concrete measures against them.
Kabul has rejected these allegations and denied allowing Afghan territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan.
Tensions escalated further after Pakistan reported that eight drones entering from Afghanistan had been intercepted earlier in the week. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar subsequently said Pakistan had carried out aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations inside Afghanistan in response.
The latest Spin Boldak confrontation adds to a series of border incidents between the two countries and comes as Islamabad continues to call for concrete and verifiable action by Kabul against militant groups.
With both sides presenting conflicting accounts of the latest incident and casualty figures, the border situation remains tense and relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to face significant security challenges.
