Pakistan and Afghanistan Exchange Cross-Border Strikes, Breaking Month-Old Ceasefire

Pakistan and Afghanistan have resumed cross-border hostilities despite a March ceasefire mediated by China, with Pakistan conducting airstrikes on Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University in Kunar province that killed at least seven and injured 85 according to Afghan sources, though Pakistan's Information Ministry dismisses this as a blatant lie. The violence, reportedly triggered by Pakistani forces shooting a child near Spin Boldak on Sunday, marks the most serious clash since the truce that ended weeks of deadly fighting including Pakistan's February declaration of open war. The core dispute centers on Pakistan's demand that Afghanistan curb the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant group, which Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of sheltering, while Kabul counters that Pakistan harbors hostile groups targeting Afghanistan. The border has remained largely closed since October, freezing bilateral trade, while regional powers including China, Turkey, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia continue diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.

Recent Cross-Border Attacks and Ceasefire Breakdown

• ▪At least three civilians were injured by gunfire in South Waziristan, Pakistan
• ▪Pakistan's Information Ministry dismissed the report of an attack on the university as a blatant lie
• ▪Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on a ceasefire in March that halted weeks of deadly violence
• ▪The incident in South Waziristan was the most serious clash since the ceasefire was declared in March
• ▪The Pakistani military launched mortar and rocket attacks that wounded 45 people in Afghanistan's Kunar province

Underlying Security Disputes and TTP Tensions

• ▪Pakistan launched air strikes on Afghanistan's capital Kabul and other cities in February
• ▪Pakistan demands that Afghanistan curb the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan armed group
• ▪The heaviest fighting in years between Pakistan and Afghanistan was sparked in February after Afghanistan launched an operation against the Pakistani military along the Durand Line
• ▪Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of sheltering the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
• ▪The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan armed group has conducted regular deadly attacks from its bases in Afghanistan
• ▪Kabul rejects the charge of sheltering the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and counters that Pakistan harbours hostile groups

International Mediation Efforts and Peace Talks

• ▪Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have made efforts to halt the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan
• ▪Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been fraught since the Taliban took power for a second time in 2021

Perspective of Pakistan

• ▪Pakistan's Information Ministry characterized Afghanistan's report of an attack on Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University as a blatant lie

Perspective of Afghanistan

• ▪Afghanistan maintains that the attack on Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University in Asadabad killed at least seven people and injured 85
• ▪The Taliban government rejects accusations that it provides sanctuary to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan on Afghan soil