Deadly clashes have erupted once again along the volatile Pakistan-Afghanistan border, leaving scores of people dead as hostilities deepen between Islamabad and the Taliban regime. The renewed violence marks one of the most severe confrontations since the Taliban took power in 2021.

The fighting broke out late Tuesday in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province after a brief pause in hostilities. Both sides have accused the other of firing first. By Wednesday morning, Pakistani forces reportedly launched heavy shelling and airstrikes in Spin Boldak district.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the attacks claimed the lives of over a dozen civilians and wounded more than a hundred. “Afghan forces were compelled to respond,” Mujahid stated, accusing Pakistan of deliberately targeting residential areas.

In response, Taliban fighters reportedly launched counterstrikes, claiming to have killed several Pakistani soldiers and captured military equipment, including tanks and weapons. Viral footage circulating online purportedly shows Taliban fighters atop a seized Pakistani T-55 tank.

Pakistan, however, accused the Taliban of mounting coordinated assaults on two of its border posts in the southwest and northwest, both of which were “effectively repelled.” Military officials in Islamabad claimed that around 50 Taliban fighters were killed in retaliatory operations, with additional casualties reported near Spin Boldak.

According to local reports, Pakistani airstrikes struck parts of Kandahar, while Taliban fire hit civilian areas in Pakistan’s Chaman and Orakzai districts, killing six paramilitary soldiers and injuring several civilians. Thousands of residents have reportedly fled their homes amid escalating violence.

The conflict has also taken a diplomatic turn. Islamabad has called on Qatar and Saudi Arabia to intervene as mediators after Afghanistan denied visas to Pakistan’s defence minister, intelligence chief, and senior military officials. Pakistani authorities said repeated attempts at initiating dialogue were rejected by Kabul.

The tensions began last week after Pakistan launched cross-border airstrikes targeting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) camps allegedly operating inside Afghan territory. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering TTP militants responsible for deadly attacks inside Pakistan since 2021.

Efforts by Saudi Arabia and Qatar briefly paused the fighting over the weekend, but hostilities resumed by Tuesday night. Most major border crossings remain closed as the conflict intensifies.

The escalation coincides with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s ongoing visit to India, where discussions are underway to re-establish New Delhi’s diplomatic presence in Kabul — a move that has heightened anxiety in Islamabad.

With mounting casualties and no sign of de-escalation, the situation along the Durand Line has become increasingly fragile, threatening to unravel already strained regional ties.