Taliban administration spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated late on 5/12 that Pakistani forces attacked Afghanistan in Spin Boldak city, Kandahar border province, forcing a response. He did not detail the related developments.

Conversely, Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for Pakistan's Prime Minister, announced early today that Afghan Taliban forces fired unprovoked artillery along the border, prompting an immediate and forceful Pakistani response.

Pakistani security forces in Peshawar on 24/11. Photo: AFP

Residents living in the Afghanistan border region reported that fighting commenced at 22h30 on 5/12 and lasted approximately two hours.

Ali Mohammed Haqmal, head of the Kandahar Information Department, stated that the Pakistani side fired "both light and heavy artillery," emphasizing that shells hit civilian homes.

Neither Kabul nor Islamabad has reported any casualties from the incident.

Border tensions between the two nations escalated into conflict in early October, following Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan's capital, Kabul. These strikes targeted a leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) insurgent group, which opposes the Pakistani government. The Taliban responded with attacks on Pakistani military bases along the shared border.

Location of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Graphic: Al Jazeera

The two sides reached a ceasefire agreement in Qatar on 19/10. However, bilateral negotiations have been stalled since late October, with both sides criticizing each other for being unwilling to cooperate on finalizing ceasefire details. The most recent round of talks, held in Arab Saudi last weekend, yielded no breakthrough.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have also warned of renewed fighting should diplomatic efforts fail. Last month, Kabul accused Islamabad of conducting airstrikes in the Afghanistan border area that resulted in 10 deaths, an accusation Pakistan denied.