Fresh deadly border clashes have erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban forces, with both sides accusing each other of violating a fragile ceasefire.
Residents fled the Afghan border city of Spin Boldak overnight as gunfire intensified along the 1,600-mile (2,574 km) frontier shared by the two countries.
A medical official in Kandahar told BBC Pashto that a local hospital receives the bodies of four people, while Pakistan reports three injuries on its side of the border.
The renewed fighting marks another episode in months of sporadic confrontations, during which Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities repeatedly accuse Pakistan of launching airstrikes inside Afghan territory.
Both sides confirm they exchanged fire for four hours overnight, but each insists the other sparked the violence.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s spokesperson, Mosharraf Zaidi, says the Taliban opened fire first, calling it “unprovoked firing.”
“An immediate, befitting and intense response has been given by our armed forces. Pakistan remains fully alert and committed to protecting its territorial integrity and the safety of our citizens,” he said.
The Taliban reject Pakistan’s accusation, insisting Islamabad “once again initiates attacks,” forcing Afghan forces to retaliate.