Multiple explosions and gunfire rattled Kabul on Tuesday as fighting along the Afghan-Pakistani border intensified, AFP journalists reported.
The blasts, heard across the Afghan capital, came alongside anti-aircraft fire and heavy gunfire from various parts of the city. The Afghan Defence Ministry confirmed the clashes against Pakistani forces were ongoing.
AFP correspondents in Jalalabad, located between Kabul and the frontier, also reported hearing explosions and sustained gunfire. Residents near the Torkham border crossing, about 50 kilometres from Jalalabad, said the days-long fighting continued unabated.
The violence began on Thursday when Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani air strikes. Afghan officials report at least 39 civilian deaths since then, including three children killed Monday in Kunar province, which the deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat described as “a crime committed by the Pakistani military regime.” Pakistan has not commented on the civilian toll.
The UN children’s agency expressed alarm over reports of child casualties and urged all parties to exercise “maximum restraint” and safeguard civilians. Islamabad maintains its February air strikes targeted militants and accuses Afghanistan of failing to act against groups carrying out attacks in Pakistan—a claim rejected by the Taliban administration.
Fighting has spread across several Afghan provinces. The Defence Ministry reported clashes in southern Kandahar and neighbouring Zabul, while the provinces near the border have also witnessed heavy exchanges of fire. Analysts say this marks the worst violence along the frontier since October, when similar clashes killed more than 70 people on both sides and led to partial border closures.
The border crisis has heightened regional tensions, disrupted civilian life, and sparked international calls for restraint as both nations struggle to contain the escalation.
