UNIPA News(Kabul) 25 February 2026:Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged gunfire along their shared border on Tuesday, with both sides accusing each other of triggering the confrontation. The incident comes just days after Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan further strained already fragile bilateral relations.
The clash occurred along the 2,600-kilometre (1,615-mile) Pakistan–Afghanistan border, an area that has witnessed recurring violence in recent months. Tensions have remained elevated since Pakistan conducted air operations on Saturday and Sunday, threatening a delicate ceasefire established after deadly fighting in October.
Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s prime minister, told Reuters that Afghan Taliban authorities initiated “unprovoked firing” in the Torkham and Tirah sub-sectors. He said Pakistani security forces responded “immediately and effectively,” adding that any future provocation would be met with a firm response.
Afghan officials disputed that account. Zabihullah Noorani, director of information and culture for Nangarhar province, stated that Pakistani forces opened fire in the Shahkot area of Nazyan district and that Afghan troops responded. He added that the fighting had since ceased and that there were no reported Afghan casualties.
Mawlawi Wahidullah, spokesperson for an Afghan army corps responsible for eastern Afghanistan, said border patrol units near the Durand Line in Achin and Durbaba districts came under fire and responded accordingly. He emphasised that Afghan forces did not initiate the exchange but acted in response to incoming fire.
The latest flare-up follows Pakistani airstrikes that Islamabad says targeted camps belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State Khorasan Province in eastern Afghanistan. Pakistani security sources claimed around 70 militants were killed in the operations.
However, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported receiving “credible reports” that at least 13 civilians were killed and seven injured in Nangarhar province. Taliban authorities have put the casualty figures higher. The reported numbers have not been independently verified.
Pakistan maintains that leaders of the TTP operate from Afghan territory, an allegation Kabul continues to deny.
The renewed exchange of fire underscores the volatility of the border region and raises concerns over further escalation between the two neighbouring countries at a time of already heightened regional insecurity.