Afghanistan and Pakistan trade accusations after reported Nuristan clash

Afghanistan and Pakistan have exchanged accusations over a reported clash in Afghanistan’s eastern Nuristan province, with Kabul alleging cross-border support and Islamabad denying involvement. Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday that its forces killed 28 fighters and wounded 32 after a group entered Nuristan from Pakistan. It said the group included Islamic State militants and former members of Afghanistan’s previous government security forces.

The Afghan ministry said the fighters crossed into Kamdesh district near the Pakistani border on Saturday intending to carry out attacks. Afghan forces launched an operation, after which surviving fighters fled towards positions held by Pakistani militias, it said. Kabul also alleged that Pakistani armed personnel and militia members had coordinated with the group before withdrawing when fighting began.

It further accused Pakistani intelligence of taking former Afghan security personnel to Pakistan under the pretext of assistance, training them and sending them towards Nuristan. Pakistan’s Information Ministry rejected the allegations in a social-media post, calling them baseless. It denied that Pakistani security forces or intelligence agencies had taken part in clashes in Nuristan, recruited or trained former Afghan security personnel, or facilitated Islamic State or other militant groups in Afghanistan.

Pakistan also disputed a video circulated online as evidence of its involvement, describing it as staged. The video could not be independently verified. Reuters said it could not independently verify the ministry’s account or casualty figures.

The dispute follows Pakistani air strikes inside Afghanistan on September 21. Islamabad said those strikes targeted militants, while Afghan officials reported civilian deaths; the United Nations mission in Afghanistan confirmed three civilian deaths.