Fighting erupts as the Taliban table proposals in Pakistan-Afghanistan talks in Turkiye, while Islamabad warns of “war” if the deal fails.
Published October 26, 2025
Pakistan’s military says fresh clashes near its border with Afghanistan have left at least five Pakistani soldiers and 25 militants dead, even as the two countries hold peace talks in Istanbul.
Pakistan’s military said militants attempted to enter Kurram province and North Waziristan from Afghanistan on Friday and Saturday, accusing Taliban authorities of failing to act against militants operating from Afghan territory.
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The bureau said Sunday that the attempted infiltration raised questions about Kabul’s efforts to tackle “terrorism emanating from the soil.”
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has not commented on the latest clashes, but has repeatedly denied accusations that it harbors armed fighters, instead accusing Pakistan of violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty with airstrikes.
Delegations from both countries arrived in Istanbul, Turkiye, on Saturday for talks aimed at preventing a recurrence of full-scale conflict. The talks came days after Qatar and Turkiye brokered a ceasefire in Doha to halt the most serious border conflict since the Taliban took Kabul in 2021.
Riots earlier this month left dozens dead and hundreds injured.
“Open War”
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the ceasefire was holding and Kabul appeared interested in peace, but warned that failure in Istanbul would leave Islamabad with the option of “opening war.”
The Pakistani military described those involved in the weekend infiltration as members of what it calls “Fitna al-Khwariji.” The term refers to ideologically motivated armed groups that are said to be supported by foreign sponsors.
US President Donald Trump also said on Sunday that he would “resolve the Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis very quickly” and told reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Malaysia that he had been briefed on the ongoing talks.
Separately, Taliban-affiliated broadcaster RTA announced on Sunday that Turkiye’s Kabul delegation, after more than 15 hours of consultations, had submitted a proposal calling on Pakistan to halt cross-border attacks and prevent any “anti-Afghan groups” from using the territory.
The Afghan side also expressed openness to a four-party monitoring mechanism to oversee the ceasefire and investigate violations.
The Afghan delegation will be led by Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib. Pakistan has not announced its representative.
Analysts expect the talks will revolve around intelligence sharing, allowing Islamabad to hand over the coordinates of suspected Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants so the Taliban can take direct action instead of launching Pakistan’s own attacks.
