Heavy fighting has erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan along their shared border, raising tensions just as Islamabad positions itself as a potential host for talks between the United States and Iran.
Both sides confirmed that artillery and heavy weapons were used in Sunday’s clashes, targeting areas in Afghanistan’s Kunar province and Pakistan’s Bajur district. Afghan officials said at least one person was killed and 16 others injured, most of them women and children.
FILE PHOTO: People carry the coffin of a victim, who died in what the Taliban said was a Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation centre, during a mass burial, in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
Pakistani security officials denied targeting civilians, saying their forces were responding to Afghan shelling. The Pakistani military did not immediately comment.
Fragile ceasefire collapses
The violence comes only days after the two countries agreed to a temporary pause in hostilities during the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr, following mediation efforts by Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan ended the truce last week, while Kabul has not confirmed whether it still considers the ceasefire in effect.
The latest exchange underscores the volatility of relations between the neighbors, whose worst fighting in years erupted last month. Afghan authorities previously said a Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul killed more than 400 people—an allegation Islamabad denies, insisting it targeted militant infrastructure.
A satellite image shows Kabul following a reported strike by Pakistan on a rehab centre, in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 20, 2026. Pakistan has rejected the Afghan Taliban claim that it targeted a drug rehab centre, saying it “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure”. Vantor/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. MANDATORY CREDIT. MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO.
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan’s Taliban administration of sheltering Islamist militants responsible for attacks on its soil, a charge Kabul rejects.
Talks with Iran in focus
The renewed border tensions come at a sensitive diplomatic moment. Pakistan has said it is preparing to host “meaningful talks” between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the ongoing Iran war.
Foreign Ministers Badr Abdelatty of Egypt, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Ishaq Dar of Pakistan and Hakan Fidan of Turkey meet to discuss regional de-escalation, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 29, 2026. Muammer Tan/Turkish Foreign MinistryHandout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
U.S. President Donald Trump said the two sides have already been engaging “directly and indirectly,” describing Iran’s new leadership as “very reasonable,” while acknowledging that a deal is not guaranteed.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad would be “honored” to facilitate negotiations for a “comprehensive and lasting settlement,” though it remains unclear whether both the U.S. and Iran have agreed to participate.
War pressures mount
The diplomatic push unfolds against a backdrop of intensifying conflict. The war, which began with Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran in late February, has spread across the Middle East, disrupting global energy supplies and weighing on the world economy.
Iran has warned it will not accept what it calls humiliation and has threatened to respond if U.S. ground forces are deployed. Meanwhile, additional American troops have arrived in the region, keeping the possibility of further escalation on the table.
