Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes

Armed clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan since 1949

Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes
Part of Taliban insurgency – Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The Durand Line (in red) border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Date 1949–50, 1960–61, 1973–92, 2007–present Location Eastern Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along the international border Status Occasional clashes[6]
Belligerents
Afghanistan[a] Supported by: Soviet Union (1960–1991)[1] Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (since 2012)[2][3] Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (2015–2020)[4][5]	Pakistan[b]
Commanders and leaders
1949–1950 1960–1961 Former King of Afghanistan ) 1973–1992 Mohammed Daoud Khan (Former President of Afghanistan) Nur Muhammad Taraki (Former General Secretary of Afghanistan) Hafizullah Amin (Former General Secretary of Afghanistan) Babrak Karmal (Former General Secretary of Afghanistan) Mohammad Najibullah (Former President of Afghanistan ) 2007–present Leader of Afghanistan) Ashraf Ghani (Former President of Afghanistan) Hamid Karzai (Former President of Afghanistan ) Omar Khalid Khorasani † (Leader of JuA )	1949–1950 Liaquat Ali Khan 1960–1961 Ayub Khan (Former President of Pakistan ) 1973–1992 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Former President of Pakistan) Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry (Former President of Pakistan) Sheikh Anwarul Haq (Former Acting President of Pakistan) Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry (Former President of Pakistan) Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (Former President of Pakistan) Ghulam Ishaq Khan (Former President of Pakistan) 2007–present Pervez Musharraf (Former President of Pakistan) Muhammad Mian Soomro (Former Acting President of Pakistan) Asif Ali Zardari (Former President of Pakistan) Mamnoon Hussain (Former President of Pakistan) Arif Alvi (Former President of Pakistan) Asif Ali Zardari (President of Pakistan)
Units involved
Afghan Army (Taliban forces) Afghan National Security Forces (until 2021) Afghan National Army (ANA) Afghan Border Police (ABP) Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (until 1992) Afghan Air Force 99th Missile Brigade KhAD Sarandoy	Pakistan Armed Forces (Northern Command) Pakistan Army XI Corps Frontier Corps Pakistan Air Force

A series of occasional armed skirmishes and firefights have occurred along the

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan on Afghan soil is the reason for sporadic shelling of Afghanistan's territory by Pakistani security forces.^[13]

Background

Hostilities existed between Afghanistan and the newly independent Pakistan since 1947,[14] when Afghanistan became the only country to vote against the admission of Pakistan to the United Nations.^[15] Before Pakistan's independence, Afghanistan advocated the independence of its north-west frontier,^[16] although the region's predominant Pashtun population had voted overwhelmingly in favor of Pakistan over India in the referendum held in July 1947. 99.02% votes were cast in favor of Pakistan.^[17][18] Though the proposed Pashtunistan state by Afghanistan fluctuated in size over time,^[19] the Balochistan province of Pakistan was also frequently included in the Greater Pastunistan definition to gain access to the Arabian sea in case Pakistan failed as a state,^[14] as Afghanistan had expected, but the idea became unpopular.^[15]

The International border between

British Indian Empire.^[20] The Durand Line was reaffirmed as the International Border between Afghanistan and British India in the 1919 Anglo-Afghan War after the Afghan independence. The Afghans undertook to stop interference on the British side of the line in the subsequent Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919 in Rawalpindi.^[21]

Pakistan inherited the Durand Line agreement after its independence in 1947, but the Afghan Government has always refused to accept the Durand Line Agreement. Afghanistan has several times tried to seize Pakistan's western provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The then Afghan Prime Minister, Muhammad Hashim, said "if an independent Pashtunistan cannot be set up, the frontier province should join Afghanistan. Our neighbor Pakistan will realize that our country, with its population and trade, needs an outlet to the sea, which is very essential", in an interview with the Statesman.^[14] In 1949, Pakistan Air Force bombed the Afghan sponsored militant camps in border areas including an Afghan village to curb an unrest led by Ipi Faqir propagating independent Pashtunistan.^[22] Border clashes were reported in 1949–50 for the first time.^[15]

On 30 September 1950, Pakistan claimed that Afghan troops and tribesmen had crossed into Pakistan's Balochistan, resulting in the

invasion was repelled after six days of fighting. The Afghan government denied its involvement and claimed that they were pro-Pashtunistan Pashtun tribesmen.^[23]

Tensions soared with the Pakistani

Bajaur.^[24] Pacha Gul was advised to go before an aerial counteroffensive would be triggered for serving as an agent for Afghanistan and providing resources worth of 170 million afghanis, cash, and arms to the bajaur tribesmen which were to incite a uprising against Pakistan.^[25][26] The Pakistan air force acted by bombing the area where the ammunition dump was stored. The Pakistani air force then claimed to have destroyed a major ammunition dump during the raid.^{[27][28][29][26]}

In 1950 the

Philip Noel-Baker

, 30 June 1950

At the 1956 SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization) Ministerial Council Meeting held at Karachi, capital of Pakistan at the time, it was stated:

The members of the Council declared that their governments recognised that the sovereignty of Pakistan extends up to the Durand Line, the international boundary between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and it was consequently affirmed that the Treaty area referred to in Articles IV and VIII of the Treaty includes the area up to that Line.^[31]

— SEATO, 8 March 1956

The Afghan government, having secured a treaty in December 1978 that allowed them to call on Soviet forces, repeatedly requested the introduction of troops in Afghanistan in the spring and summer of 1979. The 1979

In September 2017, Brad Sherman, a US lawmaker, suggested conditioning US aid to Afghanistan to the recognition of Durand Line. He added:

I realise that's tough. They'll say, oh, don't—but the fact is, as long as Afghanistan leaves open the idea that they're claiming Pakistani territory, it’s going to be very hard to get the Pakistanis involved, as we need them involved, in controlling the Afghan Taliban.^[35]

— Brad Sherman, 7 September 2017

Islamic Republic era skirmishes

The following is an incomplete list of recent events relating to the Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes. Most of these events cannot be independently verified because news journalists usually have very limited access to reaching the areas where the fighting take place.

• 13 May 2007 – An armed clash broke out between
  Paktika province, Rahmatullah Rahmat, said that as many as 41 Afghans were either killed or injured in the clash. Other Afghans sources state that 13 Afghans^[37] (9 Afghan soldiers and 4 civilians) were killed. 3 soldiers of Pakistan Army were also injured in the clash.^[38]
• 3 February 2011 – One Pakistani and 7 Afghan soldiers were killed and three others injured after a clash broke out along the border between Pakistani and Afghan forces including an Afghan Colonel. 3 Afghan Soldiers were also arrested by Pakistani Forces which were later returned. An Afghan commander in Khost confirmed the exchange of fire and alleged that the incident broke out after Pakistani troops in Waziristan opened fire towards Afghan police posts in Gurbuz District, claiming the Afghan engagement as retaliation. However, a Pakistani military official in Peshawar said that the Afghan troops fired on a Pakistan army check post in Ghulam Khan, North Waziristan and that the fire emanated from Afghan territory first. "We are responding with artillery and mortars," he added.^[39]
• June 2011 – Afghanistan blamed Pakistan for killing dozens of Afghan civilians in cross-border shelling conducted for several months. The Afghan government called for the immediate cessation of the artillery fire from Pakistan against Afghan villages. Afghan Army spokesman Mohammad Zahir Azimi said around 150 missiles fired from Pakistan had landed in different areas of Kunar province.^[40]
• July 2011 – Afghan officials alleged that around 42 Afghans were killed while another 48 were injured as a result of Pakistan military shelling in
  Nangarhar provinces, terrorist belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban (Pakistan) moved in behind fleeing Afghan civilians.^[45]
• 19 July 2011 – Pakistani officials stated that over 20 mortar shells were fired from Afghanistan which killed 4 Pakistani soldiers and wounded another 2. Pakistan blamed the Afghan National Army for the attack.[46]
• 27 August 2011 – at least 2 Pakistani security personnel were killed and seven others injured in
  Nuristan province and initiated firing. The Pakistani government blamed Afghanistan, saying since their expulsion from Pakistani tribal areas, militants were regrouping in Kunar and Nuristan with the support of local Afghan authorities.^[47]
• 7 September 2011 – Protesters from
  Eid ul-Fitr. The protestors said they would stand against insurgents if their region was attacked in the future and blamed the Afghan government, insisting that Afghan authorities and NATO forces were failing to contain Afghanistan-based militants. The protestors also urged the need to increase the presence of border forces and called on the federal government to take up the issue with the Afghan government to avoid future incidents.^[48]
• 25 September 2011 – Afghan authorities claimed that more than 340 rockets had been fired over the course of four days from Pakistani territory. The rockets damaged a few buildings, resulted in the death of a child and also forced hundreds to flee their homes. An employee from the
  Afghan Ministry of the Interior did not disclose the source of the cross-border shelling but said: "We call on Pakistan, whoever is behind the attacks, to prevent it immediately."^[49]
• 10 October 2011 – Pakistani security forces stated that they killed 30 Afghan militants when a group of 200 militants from Afghanistan crossed the border into Pakistan. One Pakistani soldier was also killed in the clash.[50]
• 12 January 2012 – Pakistani Special Forces Troops from elite
  Special Services Group
  entered 4 to 5 km deep inside Afghan borders from Lower Dir area in pursuit of militants. Afghan Forces opened fire in retaliation, 11 Afghan Soldiers were killed in the exchange of fire. Pakistan immediately withdrew without any casualties. Afghanistan also blamed SSG Commandos for taking away the body of a killed Afghan Army Major.
• 2 May 2013 – An armed clash took place between Pakistan and Afghan soldiers. The clash resulted in death of 1
  Afghan Border Police officer. 2 Afghan border police personnel were also injured. While 2 personnel of Pakistan's Frontier Constabulary were also injured in the attack.^[51][52]
• 8 June 2013 – Pakistan Army Aviation Bell AH-1 Cobra Gunship Helicopters crossed the border from North Waziristan into Paktia and hit 3 TTP Targets before returning.
• 31 May 2014 – Around 150 to 300 Militants belonging to
  Tehrik-i-Taliban (Pakistan) attacked a group of Pakistan military post at Nao top in Bajaur District. Pakistani military said that it successfully repelled the attack. In the attack 1 Pakistani soldiers and 16 militants belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban were killed. According to Pakistani officials, gunship helicopters were also used to target Taliban positions in Afghanistan. Afghan defense minister General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi acknowledged that Pakistan military post was attacked by Talibans from Afghanistan side of the border. However, Afghan officials claim that the Pakistani gunship helicopters had crossed into Afghan territory. They claim that 4 Afghan civilians were killed and 10 others were injured as result of strikes conducted by those gunship helicopters.^[3]
• 4 June 2014 – Pakistani officials stated that terrorist from Afghanistan launched an attack on Pakistan's border post in
  Tehrik-i-Taliban (Pakistan) were responsible for the attack. The attack was preceded by 31 May 2014 attack which also took place in Bajaur Agency. In the attack, 14 terrorist belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban (Pakistan) were killed. Pakistani officials also stated that one of their border guard was killed while two others were injured. The attack by the terrorist on the border post was repelled successfully.^[53]
• 24 June 2014 – Afghan officials alleged that Pakistani soldiers have crossed the border and have conducted an attack on Afghan soldiers in Afghan territory. Afghan officials stated that the incursion took place in Kunar Province of Afghanistan and 3 Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers and 8 Afghan civilians were killed in the attack.^[54]
• 20 December 2014 –
  Ministry of Defence (Afghanistan)
  directed them not to engage Pakistani forces.
• 23 August 2015 – Four Pakistani soldiers manning a border post were killed and four more injured in a rocket attack which originated from Afghanistan. The Pakistan military stated that it eliminated the group of militants responsible for the attack. This followed an attack on 16 and 17 August in which three Frontier Constabulary officers had also been killed.^[55]
• 13–16 June 2016 – Pakistan and Afghan military clashed along the Torkham border for a period of three days.
  Pakistan–Afghanistan barrier.^[58] The Torkham border crossing was forced to close due to skirmishes.^[60] According to Afghan officials, three Afghan soldiers^[56] and two Afghan civilians^[61] were killed as a result of Pakistan army firing. Seventeen Afghan soldiers were also reported to be injured in the three days clash.^[62] According to some reports Pakistan Army had captured three Afghan border outposts.^[63] On 15 June 2016, Pakistan restarted the construction of the border gate on the Torkham border.^[64]
• 17–19 February 2017 – Over 48 hours, the Pakistani Army fired scores of missiles on
  Sufi Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Pakistan's Sindh province, killing 91 people and wounding 300 others. The Afghan foreign ministry protested the shelling by Pakistan on its territory.^[69]
• 5 March 2017 – Afghan officials claimed that Pakistan military has been shelling parts of
  Kunar province and Nangarhar province for the past two weeks. Afghan officials claim that 4 Afghan civilians were killed and dozen others were wounded in the shelling. Afghan reports claim that Pakistan military had fired more than 500 rockets which had in turn had made 500 families homeless.^[70]
• 5 May 2017 – In the 2017 Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmish, a Pakistani census team in Chaman was attacked by Afghan forces and in return Pakistani forces attacked the Afghan Army. At least seven Afghan soldiers and two Pakistani soldiers were killed, as well as at least two civilians. At least 30 civilians were wounded.^[71]
• 5 April 2018 – Afghan government officials claim that the
  Kunar province of Afghanistan which has caused 'huge financial losses' for the Afghan government. According to Afghan government officials, Pakistan Air Force dropped around four bombs within Afghanistan's territory.^[72] However, Pakistan officials rejected Afghan government allegations and termed them baseless. Pakistani officials stated that the Pakistan security forces were countering militants groups based in Afghanistan, who had launched attacks against the Pakistani security forces.^[73]
• 15 April 2018 – Cross-border fire between the Pakistani Army and Afghan forces conducting routine "surveillance" in the
  Kurram Agency left two Pakistani soldiers dead and five others injured.^[74]
• February 2019 – Afghan officials wrote to
  United Nation Security Council (UNSC) regarding consistent violation of Afghan territory by Pakistani security forces. Afghan officials claim that from 2012 to 2017, 82 Afghan people have been killed and 183 were injured as result of Pakistani security forces attacks.^[75]
• 3 April 2019 – An Afghan-based Kharoti tribe, clashed with Pakistan's Sulaimankhel tribe in Zarmailan area in Toykhula tehsil near the Pak-Afghan border. Reports suggest that clash broke out when members of the Afghan Kharoti tribe took up positions on the hilltop in Zarmailan area and started firing at the local population on the Pakistani side. In response, Pakistan's Sulaimankhel tribe, retaliated which forced Afghan Kharoti tribe to flee while leaving behind their weapons. Seven Afghan Kharoti were also injured in the clash. The Sulaimankhel tribe was led by Malik Ibrahim Jalalkhel, Gulbahar Khan Sulimankhel and other local elders.^[76][77][78]
• 1–2 May 2019 – On 1 May 2019, Pakistan military officials stated that around 70–80 terrorists from Afghanistan, launched attack on Pakistani soldiers who were constructing a border fence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistani military officials stated that they successfully repulsed the attack, killing scores of terrorists while forcing others to withdraw. In the clash, three Pakistani soldiers were also killed, while seven others were injured. Pakistan summoned the Afghan diplomat to lodge strong protests against the attack and urged the Afghan government to take action against the terrorists operating from the Afghan soil.^[79] On 2 May 2019, Afghan officials claimed that four Afghan civilians were killed and five others wounded as result of cross border shelling by Pakistani forces in Khost Province. Afghanistan summoned the Pakistani diplomat to protest over Pakistani military's "violation of Afghan Airspace and launching rockets" that caused casualties and damage.^[80]
• 21 September 2020 - 1
  Pakistani soldier was killed during a cross border attack on a military checkpost in Bajaur District. According to a statement by the military, the shooting came from the Afghan side of the frontier.^[81]

The Taliban returned to power after capturing Kabul on the 2021 offensive. The Taliban-led Afghanistan has been increasingly involved in border conflicts with Pakistan.^[82]

• 26 August 2021 – A Pakistani soldier was killed in a cross border attack on a military checkpost in
  TTP terrorists and injured 3 others.^[83]
• 29 August 2021 – Gunfire from Afghanistan killed two Pakistani soldiers in Bajaur District in the second such incident since the Taliban took over Kabul. In retaliation the army said it killed 2-3 TTP terrorists and injured 3-4 more.^[84]
• 24 December 2021 – A clash took place between the
  Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Pakistani soldiers deployed along the border. Soon after, the Afghan forces also started firing artillery targeting areas on Pakistan side of the border from Sarkano and Dangam districts of Kunar province.^[85] According to Afghan media outlets, one Afghan civilian was injured in the shelling^[86] and the areas affected by Pakistani forces shelling were Dangam, Shaltan, Sarkano and Marawar districts of Kunar province. The shelling had also caused financial losses to the local residents, according to the Afghan media.^[87] No loss of life was reported on Pakistan's side.^[88]
• 6 February 2022 – Five Pakistani troops were killed as result of an attack by "militants from inside Afghanistan" on a Pakistani border post in Kurram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The army says that it retaliated, causing heavy casualties among the militants. The Taliban government denies that the firing came from within Afghan territory.^[89]
• 24 February 2022 – Pakistan and Afghan forces clashed in Spin boldak area with each side accusing the other of initiating the fire fight. Two civilians were killed and six others were injured on the Afghanistan's side as result of the clash. No loss of life was reported on Pakistan's side. The Taliban government spokesman announced that the situation in the area is under control now and that they will investigate further to why the two sides clashed.^[90]
• April 2022 – On 9 April 2022, clashes occurred between Pakistani border guards and Afghan army in
  TTP militants, as per Pakistani media.^[92]
• 13 September 2022 – In the border area of Afghanistan's Paktia province and Pakistan's Kurram province, gunfire was exchanged between Afghan forces and Pakistani forces, resulting in casualties on both sides. The Taliban alleged that Pakistani forces were attempting to build a military outpost near the border, which Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karimi said was against the "rules". Karimi further alleged that Taliban forces were fired upon when they approached Pakistani troops for questioning. Pakistan Armed Forces released a statement saying that terrorists had "opened fire upon Pakistani troops" across the border.^[93]
• 13 November 2022 – During the early morning of 13 November, Afghan forces and Pakistani border guards exchanged gunfire at the Spin Boldak-Chama border crossing in Southern Kandahar. 1 Pakistani guard was killed, while another 2 were injured. The Taliban has claimed that it had suffered no casualties during the skirmish.^[94][95] The crossing was closed for indefinite period after the skirmish.^[96]
• 11 December 2022 – At least six civilians were killed as a result of firing from Afghan army near the Chaman border. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), heavy weapons including artillery and mortars were used in the firing by Afghan forces.^[97][98] Pakistan fired missiles in retaliation killing one Afghan soldier.^[99]
• 15 December 2022 – One civilian was killed and 11 injured on Pakistan's side when Afghan forces shelled the Chaman border crossing with mortars.^[100]
• 19 February 2023 – Afghan army clashed with Pakistani border guards which resulted in closure of Torkham border crossing.^[101]
• Afghan Defense Ministry also announced that Afghan army had targeted Pakistani troops at the border in response to the air strikes.^[103] An officer of Pakistan army was killed, while three soldiers and four civilians were injured in the clash.^[107] Taliban officials did not disclose their losses, however, the local Afghans report death of a soldier of Afghan army in the clashes.^[105] Analyst believe that the pre-dawn airstrikes were meant to send a message to Afghan Taliban officials regarding militant attacks in Pakistan originating from Afghanistan.^[108][109]