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Heavy clashes at Torkham as Afghan and Pakistani forces exchange fire
Torkham, a key commercial crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, has long been a flashpoint due to disputes over the Durand Line — the 19th-century boundary demarcation that Afghanistan has historically contested.
Intense fighting erupted overnight Sunday in the Torkham area along the disputed Durand Line, with Afghan security forces claiming to have inflicted significant losses on Pakistani forces.
Mahmood Naeemi, a correspondent for Ariana News reporting from Torkham, said local officials confirmed that Afghan forces carried out retaliatory strikes late Friday, targeting Pakistani military positions near the crossing.
According to Naeemi, sections of the fence along the Durand Line were destroyed and several Pakistani facilities and outposts were damaged in the exchanges. He added that the area remains heavily militarized and volatile, warning that fighting could resume at any moment.
Torkham, a key commercial crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, has long been a flashpoint due to disputes over the Durand Line — the 19th-century boundary demarcation that Afghanistan has historically contested. Tensions frequently flare over fencing, troop movements and shelling.
Residents in the Torkham area told Ariana News that clashes have persisted for several days, forcing families to flee their homes amid fears of escalating violence. Civilian displacement and disruption to trade have also compounded concerns about stability in the already fragile border region.
Pakistani authorities have not immediately issued detailed public comments on the latest claims. The situation however remains tense, with both sides maintaining a heightened military presence along the frontier.
Sajjad Haider Khan, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says there is no government decision to return all Afghan students from Pakistan.
Khan said Afghan students who are enrolled in valid degree programmes and hold valid visas can remain in Pakistan and complete their education.
He added that students who are not registered at a university or do not hold valid visas have been instructed to return to Afghanistan.
The Pakistani official said students studying in foreign countries are expected to have both valid enrollment and valid visas for the purpose of their stay, stressing that both are necessary.
This comes after the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council recently decided to expel Afghan medical students from the country and instructed universities not to enroll new students.
Naqibullah Ahmadi, Acting Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Malaysia, met on Thursday with Tan Sri Dato Johari bin Abdul, Speaker of Malaysia’s House of Representatives, to discuss bilateral relations.
According to a statement from the Afghan Embassy in Malaysia, the two sides discussed the Islamic Emirate’s foreign policy, Afghanistan’s engagement with regional countries and the international community, as well as the country’s security situation, economic developments and investment opportunities.
The two sides also discussed further expanding bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Malaysia, joint cooperation in various sectors, and facilitating the movement of government officials, businesspeople and tourists between the two countries.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, met on Thursday with Sadin Ayyıldız, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, to discuss expanding economic, trade and transit relations between the two countries, as well as resolving problems faced by Afghan migrants in Türkiye.
According to a statement from the deputy PM’s office, Baradar expressed appreciation for the activities of Turkish companies that have invested in various sectors in Afghanistan and called on other Turkish investors to invest in the country as well.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs said the Islamic Emirate would provide the necessary facilities for Turkish investors.
Baradar also stressed the need to resolve the problems of Afghan migrants in Türkiye and provide them with greater assistance and facilities.
Meanwhile, Ayyıldız welcomed the increase in trade between Afghanistan and Türkiye and said his country was ready to further expand its relations with Afghanistan in transport, transit, health, education and other economic sectors.
The Turkish ambassador added that Türkiye would continue its cooperation in strengthening relations between Afghanistan and the international community and in presenting a realistic image of Afghanistan to the world.
He also said Türkiye had introduced facilities for issuing visas to Afghans and would seek to provide further facilitation in this area.
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