Taliban, Pakistani forces clash at Spin Boldak

Taliban and Pakistani border forces exchanged fire at the Spin Boldak crossing in Kandahar province on Friday night, both sides said, marking the latest flare-up along a frontier that has seen repeated clashes over the past two months.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the incident began when Pakistani forces opened fire, prompting what he called a “necessary response” from Taliban border units.

Pakistani media, citing government officials, reported the opposite — that the clash was initiated by Taliban forces.

The brief exchange comes as talks aimed at easing tensions remain deadlocked. Two rounds of negotiations in Istanbul in November failed to produce an agreement, and although Afghan sources have reported a new round of discussions in Riyadh, Pakistan has publicly said it is unaware of such talks.

Taliban and Pakistani forces have clashed several times in recent weeks. Eight days of fighting in October left at least 37 people dead and prompted the closure of key border crossings, disrupting trade and stranding thousands of trucks on both sides.

Neither side has provided casualty figures from Friday night’s incident.