RASC News Agency: According to ABC News, citing Associated Press, border clashes between the Taliban and the military of Pakistan have resumed following the collapse of a temporary ceasefire, leaving at least two civilians dead and several others injured in eastern Afghanistan.
The renewed violence underscores the Taliban administration’s continued inability to effectively manage escalating border crises.
The short-lived ceasefire, established during Eid al-Fitr, unraveled soon after its expiration.
Ziaur Rahman Spin Ghar, a Taliban-appointed local official in Kunar Province, stated that Pakistani forces fired dozens of artillery shells into the districts of Nari and Sarkano, killing two civilians and injuring eight others.
Taliban border forces reportedly returned fire, claiming to have targeted three Pakistani military posts an assertion that has not been independently verified. Meanwhile, a Pakistani local official accused Taliban forces of initiating the clashes. The conflicting narratives further highlight persistent gaps in transparency and reliable information from the Taliban authorities.
This latest escalation comes roughly one week after a temporary ceasefire was brokered through mediation by regional actors, including:
• Saudi Arabia
• Turkey
• Qatar
The ceasefire had followed Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan, which Taliban officials claimed struck a medical facility in Kabul and caused heavy casualties claims that remain unverified. Pakistan has rejected these allegations, maintaining that only military targets were hit.
At the same time, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced it had resumed attacks inside Pakistan after the end of the three-day Eid truce.
The group often described as ideologically aligned with the Taliban has significantly expanded its operations since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Its continued presence and activity raise serious questions about the Taliban’s willingness and capacity to control cross-border militant networks.
Both the United States and the United Nations designate the TTP as a terrorist organization. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of providing safe haven to its leaders and fighters allegations the Taliban deny, but which are reinforced by the persistence of cross-border attacks and insecurity.
Islamabad has emphasized that its military operations will continue until the Taliban take verifiable and concrete measures to prevent Afghanistan’s territory from being used by militant groups.
This ongoing situation suggests that the Taliban administration is not only struggling with internal governance challenges but is also increasingly viewed as a factor contributing to prolonged regional instability.
