Pakistani and Afghan forces exchange heavy fire along Chaman border

Heavy firing erupted late Friday night between Pakistani and Afghan forces along the volatile Chaman border, linking Balochistan’s Chaman with Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak in Kandahar. Several people were injured, including a woman, though no fatalities have been reported. A senior Quetta official confirmed that the exchange began around 10 pm and continued late into the night. Pakistani authorities said Afghan forces fired mortar shells into the Badani area, prompting retaliation, while Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid alleged that Pakistan initiated an attack on Spin Boldak and claimed their forces were only responding. Unverified reports also indicated fighting along the Chaman-Kandahar highway. No statement has been issued by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations or the Foreign Office.

The clashes occurred at the Chaman border gate, also known as the Friendship Gate or Bab-e-Dosti, built in 2003 under an agreement between Pakistan and the Afghan governor of Kandahar, Gul Agha Sherzai, who participated in laying its foundation. The three-storey, double-arched brick structure was intended to formalise and regulate movement across a historically porous frontier. Recent reports suggest the gate on the Afghan side was damaged during clashes, while the Pakistani side remains intact.

Under normal conditions, the Chaman crossing handles about fifty to sixty Pakistani export trucks entering Afghanistan and around ten Afghan import trucks entering Pakistan daily, totaling roughly seventy trucks. The route is vital for local communities dependent on transport, trade, and cross-border activity.

This flare-up is part of a recurring pattern of violence at Chaman. In 2025 alone, an incident on November 6 saw Pakistani authorities report firing initiated from the Afghan side, prompting measured retaliation and a temporary suspension of trade. Earlier clashes in 2017, 2020, and 2023 also involved military and civilian casualties, highlighting Chaman as a persistent flashpoint along the Durand Line.

The clashes are fueled by multiple factors: Pakistan alleges that Afghan territory provides safe havens to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants; both sides maintain heavy military presence along a disputed and strategically sensitive frontier; cycles of retaliation often escalate small incidents; and local tribal disputes add to the tension. Each incident strains bilateral ties and disrupts trade, transport, and civilian life.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained fragile for months. Islamabad repeatedly accuses the Afghan Taliban of failing to stop militant activity emanating from Afghanistan, while border clashes underscore the vulnerability of the Chaman crossing. The recent exchange of fire marks another escalation in the already tense relationship between the two neighbors, raising concerns over civilian safety, continuity of trade, and regional stability.