Heavy clashes at Torkham as Afghan and Pakistani forces exchange fire

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.