At least one person has died as Pakistani and Afghan security forces exchanged fire at the Torkham border crossing, the main transit point between the two countries that Pakistan closed last month over a disputed construction project.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior Affairs confirmed Monday that one security force member was killed and two injured during overnight clashes at the crossing. Two Pakistani security officials, speaking anonymously to Reuters, reported that members of their forces were also wounded in the confrontation.
The violence erupted on Ramadan’s first working day, when food imports from Pakistan typically surge into Afghanistan. Approximately 5,000 trucks carrying essential goods are now stranded on both sides of the border in harsh winter conditions.
This conflict threatens to worsen Afghanistan’s economic crisis, where millions face hunger and roughly half the population requires humanitarian assistance to survive, according to United Nations assessments.
Both countries have previously closed Torkham and the southwestern Chaman border crossing following deadly shootings and crossfire incidents. Pakistan claims it faces attacks from Afghan territory – allegations the Taliban government denies. In December, Pakistani military aircraft conducted strikes that killed dozens of people inside Afghanistan.
Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry, accused Pakistan of initiating the violence, saying Afghan forces entered “defensive mode” after dialogue attempts failed. Conversely, a Pakistani official speaking anonymously to The Associated Press claimed Taliban forces opened fire unprovoked with automatic weapons, prompting Pakistani personnel to return fire.
The Torkham closure has already caused at least $15 million in losses, according to Yousaf Afridi, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries for Pakistan’s Khyber district where the crossing is located. Shakirullah Safi, chief executive of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Investment, stated that Afghan traders are losing $500,000 daily due to the closure.
Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan was valued at more than $1.6 billion in 2024, according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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