Pakistani and Afghan Forces Clash at Key Border Crossing | Conflict News

Afghanistan reports that one security force member was killed and two injured in overnight clashes at the Torkham border crossing.

At least one person has been killed as Pakistani and Afghan security forces exchanged fire at the recently closed main border crossing between the two countries.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior Affairs confirmed on Monday that one of its security force members was killed and two others were injured in the overnight clashes at the Torkham crossing, a crucial transit point that Pakistan shut down last month following a dispute over Afghanistan’s construction of a new border post.

Two Pakistani security officials, speaking anonymously, told Reuters that members of their security forces were also wounded in the clashes.

The conflict erupted on the first working day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a period when food imports from Pakistan typically peak in Afghanistan. The fighting left approximately 5,000 trucks loaded with essential goods stranded on both sides of the border amid harsh winter conditions.

This clash could worsen the challenges facing Afghanistan’s crisis-stricken economy at a time when millions are at risk of hunger and about half the population relies on humanitarian aid to survive, according to the United Nations.

In the past, both countries have closed the Torkham and southwestern Chaman border crossings following deadly shootings and crossfire incidents.

Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring attackers who launch strikes from Afghan soil – a claim denied by the Taliban government. In December, Pakistani military aircraft conducted strikes on Afghan territory, killing dozens of people.

Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry, accused Pakistan on Monday of initiating the overnight violence. He stated that Afghan security forces entered “defensive mode” and responded after attempts at dialogue failed.

A Pakistani official, speaking anonymously, told The Associated Press that the Taliban opened fire unprovoked, targeting Pakistan’s border post with automatic weapons. Pakistani forces returned fire, the official said.

The closure of Torkham has already caused at least $15 million in losses, according to Yousaf Afridi, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries for Pakistan’s Khyber district, where the crossing is located.

Shakirullah Safi, the chief executive of the Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Investment in Afghanistan, said Afghan traders are losing $500,000 daily due to the closure.

Trade between the two countries was valued at over $1.6 billion in 2024, according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.