Afghanistan and Pakistan exchange fire as peace talks begin

By Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD/KABUL (Reuters) -Afghan and Pakistani troops briefly exchanged fire along their shared border on Thursday, both nations said, on the same day talks to find a lasting peace restarted in Istanbul.

Each nation blamed the other for starting the exchange of gunfire near Spin Boldak, an Afghan border town towards the south of their 2,600-km (1,600-mile) frontier.

There were no reports of casualties, and spokespeople for both sides said they remained committed to a ceasefire and continued dialogue in Istanbul.

Militaries from the South Asian neighbours previously clashed last month, with dozens killed in the worst such violence since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Both sides signed a ceasefire in Doha on October 19, but a second round of negotiations in Istanbul last week ended without a long-term deal, due to a disagreement over militant groups hostile to Pakistan operating inside Afghanistan.

"We hope that wisdom prevails and peace is restored in the region," Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters on Wednesday.

He said Islamabad was pursuing a "one-point agenda" of convincing Afghanistan to rein in militants attacking Pakistani forces across their shared border, allegedly with the Taliban's knowledge.

Two government sources said the head of Pakistan's military intelligence wing, Asim Malik, was leading the Pakistani delegation.

The Afghan delegation is led by intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told state broadcaster RTA.

TALKS AIMED AT PREVENTING REPEAT OF VIOLENCE

Pakistan and the Taliban had for decades enjoyed warm ties, but relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years.

Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harbouring the Pakistani Taliban, a separate militant group that has clashed repeatedly with the Pakistani military. Kabul denies this, saying it has no control over the group.

The October clashes began after Pakistani airstrikes earlier in the month on Kabul, the Afghan capital, among other locations, targeting the head of the Pakistani Taliban.

The Afghan Taliban administration responded with attacks on Pakistani military posts along the length of the border, which remains closed to trade.

While the ceasefire between the two nations' militaries had held until Thursday's exchanges, clashes have continued between the Pakistani military and the Pakistani Taliban throughout the period, with multiple deaths reported on both sides.

(Reporting by Asif Shahzad in Islamabad, Ariba Shahid in Karachi and Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul. Writing by Alasdair Pal. Editing by Saad Sayeed and Mark Potter)

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