Fresh clashes near the border with Afghanistan have resulted in the deaths of at least five Pakistani soldiers and 25 fighters, according to the Pakistani military. These incidents occurred as Pakistan and Afghanistan continue peace discussions in Istanbul.
The Pakistani army reported that armed individuals attempted to cross into the Kurram and North Waziristan regions from Afghanistan on Friday and Saturday. It accused the Taliban authorities of not taking sufficient action against armed groups operating from Afghan territory. The military also raised concerns about Kabul’s commitment to addressing “terrorism emanating from its soil.”
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has not yet commented on the recent clashes. However, it has consistently denied allegations of harboring armed fighters, instead accusing Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty through air strikes.
Delegations from both countries arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday for talks aimed at preventing a resurgence of large-scale conflict. This meeting follows a ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar and Turkey in Doha, which sought to halt the most intense border fighting since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021. Earlier this month, violence along the border resulted in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, stated that the ceasefire remains in place and that Kabul appears to be seeking peace. However, he warned that if the talks in Istanbul fail, Islamabad would consider “open war” as an alternative.
The Pakistani military identified those involved in the weekend infiltrations as members of what it refers to as “Fitna al-Khwarij,” a term used to describe ideologically driven armed groups allegedly supported by foreign sponsors.
U.S. President Donald Trump also addressed the situation on Sunday, stating that he would “solve the Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis very quickly.” He mentioned being briefed on the ongoing talks during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.
Separately, the Taliban-controlled broadcaster RTA reported that Kabul’s delegation in Turkey submitted a proposal after more than 15 hours of discussions. The proposal called for Pakistan to cease cross-border strikes and prevent any “anti-Afghan group” from using its territory. The Afghan side also expressed openness to a four-party monitoring mechanism to oversee the ceasefire and investigate violations.
Afghanistan’s delegation is led by Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib, while Pakistan has not publicly revealed its representatives.
Analysts suggest that the main focus of the talks will involve intelligence-sharing. This could allow Pakistan to provide coordinates of suspected Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters to the Taliban, enabling them to take direct action rather than conducting their own strikes.
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