Pakistan Condemns “Unprovoked” Afghan Firing, Vows Strong Response Amid Rising Border Tensions

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday condemned what he described as “unprovoked” firing by Afghan forces along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, warning that Islamabad would deliver a “befitting response” to the cross-border attacks.

According to security officials from both countries, clashes erupted late Saturday when Taliban fighters allegedly attacked several Pakistani border posts. The incident followed reports of a Pakistani airstrike in Kabul earlier this week — a move Afghanistan claims violated its airspace.

Pakistani security officials said their forces responded “with full force” to the firing from across the border, which they said occurred at more than six locations. “The firing by Afghan forces on civilian populations is a blatant violation of international laws,” Naqvi said in a statement issued Sunday.

He accused Afghanistan of playing “a game of fire and blood,” suggesting the actions were influenced by “our eternal enemy,” in an apparent reference to India.

Video footage released by Pakistani security sources showed heavy artillery and gunfire lighting up the night sky, reportedly aimed at Afghan positions. Pakistani officials claimed that several Taliban border posts were destroyed, while Afghan forces said they had captured three Pakistani outposts during the fighting.

The latest border violence comes as tensions between Islamabad and Kabul continue to escalate. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is currently in India for a weeklong visit, during which he urged Pakistan to stop blaming Afghanistan for its internal security challenges.

In response to Naqvi’s remarks, Enayatullah Khowarazmi, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense, confirmed that Taliban forces had launched a “retaliatory operation” following what he called Pakistan’s “violation of Afghan airspace.” He told Reuters that the operation concluded at midnight local time but warned that Afghanistan’s armed forces were “prepared to defend their airspace” if Pakistan strikes again.

There was no immediate official confirmation from Islamabad on whether the clashes had subsided by Sunday evening. The Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which stretches approximately 2,600 kilometers (1,615 miles), has long been a flashpoint for cross-border violence and accusations of militant infiltration.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban administration of sheltering members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group blamed for a string of deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has denied the allegations, insisting it does not allow its territory to be used against neighboring countries.

Naqvi’s remarks drew parallels to Pakistan’s earlier standoff with India in May, when both sides exchanged drone and artillery fire during a four-day military confrontation. “Afghanistan will also be given a befitting reply like India,” he said, vowing that “no country will dare cast an evil eye on Pakistan.”