4 killed in mortar, rocket attacks by Pakistan in Afghanistan:70 injured; Islamabad dismsses the involvement claims as ‘blatant lie’

Mortar and rocket attacks launched by Pakistan against neighbour Afghanistan killed four people on Monday and injured 70 more, Afghan Taliban’s Deputy Spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said in a post on X. Pakistan, however, dismissed the claims as a “blatant lie”, Reuters reported. Pakistan and Afghanistan saw some of the worst border clashes in March, which left hundreds of civilians, soldiers, and militants dead on two sides of the border. The clashes had stopped after Kabul and Islamabad reached a ceasefire on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, one of the main Muslim festivals, on March 18, following requests from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Later, officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan held week-long talks, mediated by Beijing, in the northwestern Urumqi city of China. According to Beijing, Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to “discuss a comprehensive plan to resolve issues” affecting ties. Long-standing tensions between the two countries Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have historically been strained, largely due to disputes over the Durand Line and mutual accusations of harboring militant groups. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of allowing the TTP to operate from Afghan territory. The Taliban leadership has consistently denied the allegations, saying it does not allow its territory to be used for attacks against other countries. The tensions have increased further since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025, Pakistan is now the second most terror-affected country in the world after Burkina Faso.