Fresh deadly border clashes have broken out between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban forces, with both sides accusing each other of breaking a fragile ceasefire.
Residents fled the Afghan city of Spin Boldak overnight, which lies along the 1,600-mile (2,574 km) border the two countries share.
A medical source in the nearby city of Kandahar told BBC Pashto a local hospital had received the bodies of four people. Three injuries have been reported in Pakistan.
Sporadic fighting has repeatedly broken out between the two in recent months, while Afghanistan’s Taliban government has also accused Pakistan of carrying out air strikes inside the country.
Both sides have confirmed they exchanged fire overnight but each blamed the other for beginning the four hours of fighting.
Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accused the Taliban of “unprovoked firing”.
A statement continued: “An immediate, befitting & intense response has been given by our armed forces. Pakistan remains fully alert & committed to ensuring its territorial integrity & the safety our citizens.”
Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesperson said Pakistan had “once again initiated attacks” and said it was forced to respond.
Footage from the area showed a large number of Afghans fleeing on foot and in vehicles, with people in neighbouring towns also leaving in fear of the renewed fighting spreading.
The overnight clashes came less than two months after both sides agreed to a ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Turkey.
It ended the worst fighting between Pakistan and the Taliban since the group returned to power in 2021, though tensions have remained high.
The government in Islamabad has long accused Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban of giving shelter to armed groups which carry out attacks in Pakistan.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan denies the accusation and has accused Pakistan of blaming others for their “own security failures”.
Last week delegations from both sides met in Saudi Arabia for a fourth round of negotiations on a wider peace settlement, but did not reach an agreement.
Sources familiar with the talks told BBC News that both sides had agreed to continue with the ceasefire.
