Afghanistan–Pakistan clashes (2024–present)

The 2024 Afghanistan–Pakistan clashes are a series of ongoing fights involving airstrikes and gunfire between the two countries. Armed groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Pakistani Taliban are also involved. Fighting has happened in many places along the border, such as North and South Waziristan, Wana, Dera Ismail Khan, Shangla, Khost, and Paktika. Later attacks also happened in Turbat and Gwadar, in Balochistan province, carried out by the BLA. These attacks targeted projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Pakistani military bases that host U.S. aircraft, putting Chinese and American interests at risk. After things calmed down in March 2024, the conflict flared up again in December 2024 when Pakistan launched airstrikes in Afghanistan's Paktika Province.^{[12][13][14][15]}

2024 Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes
Part of Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes – Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Insurgency in Balochistan
The international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Date 16–19 March 2024,[1][2] 7 September 2024,[3] 25 December 2024[4] – present Location North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Wana, Dera Ismail Khan, Gwadar, Turbat, Shangla, Khost, Paktika, and along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border Result Initial de-escalation[5] followed by a renewal of conflict
Belligerents
Afghanistan Pakistani Taliban[6] Balochistan Liberation Army[7]	Pakistan National Resistance Front of Afghanistan[8][9]
Commanders and leaders
Hibatullah Akhundzada Hasan Akhund Noor Wali Mehsud Sehra alias Janan † Sher Zaman alias Mukhlisyar † Abu Hamza † Akhtar Muhammad † Shoaib Iqbal Cheema alias Muneeb Jatt Abdullah Mehsud Bashir Zeb	Shehbaz Sharif Asif Ali Zardari General Asim Munir Zaheer Ahmad Babar Naveed Ashraf Ahmad Massoud Hasib Qoway Markaz
Units involved
Afghan Armed Forces Afghan Army TTP militants Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad Group BLA militants Majeed Brigade	Pakistan Armed Forces  Pakistan Army XI Corps XII Corps Pakistan Air Force  Pakistan Navy PNS Siddique Pakistan Naval Air Arm Frontier Corps Inter-Services Intelligence National Resistance Front of Afghanistan Ground Forces Special Unit
Casualties and losses
900+ killed in 2024, including 27 Afghans (per Pakistan) (as of December 27)[10]	≈400 personnel killed (per Pakistan) (as of December 27)[10]
950+ Pakistani civilians killed in 2024 (per Pakistan) (as of December 28 and not including insurgents)[11]

The fighting in December marked the third time in less than two years that Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan. The first set of airstrikes happened in 2022, the second took place in March 2024, and the most recent round occurred in December 2024.^[16]

Related pages

• Afghanistan–Pakistan border conflicts