Has a New Afghan War Begun?

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The fragile peace along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier has once again collapsed. Destructive cross-frontier shelling in the last week has killed several dozen persons, shelled civilians’ enclaves, and closed border crossing points. What once appeared to most a smouldering controversy regarding militant safe havens has ballooned into military strikes that risk destabilising a troubled region. The controversy is over long-disputed territory: the Durand Line. Pakistan has blamed Afghanistan again under Taliban rule for hosting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants that stage attacks inside Pakistan.

Kabul has denied such accusations, claiming it will not tolerate the staging of attacks by neighbours from its soil. But fresh fighting betrays these tensions having boiled over. Early Tuesday, Pakistan officials said that “unprovoked” gunfire hit border posts in the Kurram and Chaman sectors. Pakistan replies that it hit Afghan posts, levelled tanks, and eliminated installations it called militant. Taliban spokesmen replied that the Pakistani army opened fire first in Spin Boldak (Afghanistan) and killed over a dozen civilians. They claimed Afghan soldiers fought back, capturing posts, arms, and tanks.

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All the views and opinions expressed are those of the author. Image Credit: SlaveofAlWahhab via Wikimedia Commons.

About the Author

Jaiee Ashtekar holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in political science from the University of Mumbai. She holds a post-graduate diploma in international relations from the University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom (UK). She has done projects titled “Kashmir through Political Perception” and “Water issues between India and Pakistan.”

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