Afghan Taliban fighters patrol near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, October 15, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)

The flare-up comes amid rising tensions between the two South Asian neighbors, following several recent clashes despite a ceasefire agreement reached in October.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Pakistan launched an attack in Spin Boldak district in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, prompting Taliban forces to return fire.

Pakistan, however, claimed that Afghanistan initiated the conflict. Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesman for the Pakistani Prime Minister, said Taliban forces had fired without provocation along the border, and Pakistan’s armed forces were compelled to respond accordingly.