New clashes erupted early on Wednesday between Pakistani and Afghan forces at the joint border, with both sides accusing the other of having begun the hostilities.

The fighting comes amid tensions caused by Pakistani accusations that Afghanistan is harboring anti-Pakistan militants, with Islamabad calling on the Afghan Taliban administration to take action against them.

The Taliban rulers of Afghanistan, for their part, deny that such militants are sheltering in their country.

Afghanistan has made similar accusations against Pakistan.

What sparked the fighting?

According to the Pakistani military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the "Afghan Taliban resorted to cowardly attacks at four locations in Spin Boldak area of Balochistan."

The ISPR said that fighters from the Afghan Taliban and from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were both involved in the attacks.

It said at least 20 fighters were killed and many wounded on Afghan side.

The ISPR said a similar attack was repulsed in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Kurram region overnight, with at least 30 Afghan Taliban and TTP fighters "suspected to have been killed."  

Afghanistan's Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in his turn accused Pakistan of launching the attack in Spin Boldak. 

He said 12 civilians were killed and more than 100 were wounded in the fighting.

Mujahid said Afghan forces had been "compelled to retaliate" to shelling and gunfire from Pakistani forces, "resulting in the elimination of several Pakistani attackers, the seizure of their outposts and bases, the confiscation of weapons and tanks, and the destruction of significant military infrastructure."

Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to ceasefire following deadly clashes

After the fighting, Pakistani officials said a 48-hour ceasefire was called.

"During this period, both sides will sincerely strive to find a positive solution to this complex but resolvable issue through constructive dialogue," the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The Afghan Taliban in Kabul said it had ordered the Afghan army to respect the ceasefire, "unless it is violated" by the opposing side, a spokesman wrote on X.

Ongoing skirmishes at Afghan-Pakistani border

This is the second time this week that the two sides have sparred along their long border. Last week, clashes broke out during which the Taliban claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers.

However, Pakistan reported lower figures saying, it lost 23 soldiers and killed more than 200 "Taliban and affiliated terrorists" in retaliatory fire along the frontier.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn