Pakistan and Afghanistan exchange heavy fire along border

(Patria) - Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy fire along their border late on Friday, officials from both countries said, amid heightened tensions following failed peace talks earlier this week, Reuters reported.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani forces launched attacks in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province.

A spokesman for the Pakistani prime minister accused Afghan forces of "unprovoked firing" along the Chaman border.

"Pakistan remains fully prepared and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the security of our citizens," spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi said in a statement.

The exchange of fire occurred two days after a new round of peace talks between the South Asian neighbors ended without progress, although both sides agreed to continue their fragile ceasefire.

Talks in Saudi Arabia last weekend were the latest in a series of meetings organized by Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia aimed at de-escalating tensions after deadly border clashes in October.

At the heart of the dispute, Islamabad claims that militants based in Afghanistan have carried out recent attacks in Pakistan, including suicide bombings involving Afghan citizens.

Kabul denies the accusations, claiming it cannot be held responsible for security within Pakistan. Dozens of people were killed in the October clashes, the worst border violence since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021.