Afghan Officials Say 40 Civilians Killed in Border Clashes

Ambulances rush along a road towards the site of an explosion in Kabul on October 15, 2025, amid heavy border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Following a ceasefire, Afghan authorities have released updated figures on the human toll from recent border clashes with Pakistan. Officials in Spin Boldak, Kandahar, reported that 40 civilians were killed and 170 others injured in the fighting that took place earlier this week.

“We have 170 wounded and 40 killed, all civilians,” said Karimullah Zubair Agha, director of public health in Spin Boldak, one day after the ceasefire took effect.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan also documented civilian casualties, stating that at least 17 people were killed and over 300 injured in the Spin Boldak area before the truce. Additionally, it confirmed at least 16 other civilian casualties across multiple provinces during earlier incidents.

In Pakistan, military sources initially reported 23 soldiers killed in the clashes, but no updated figures have been released since the ceasefire.

The violence escalated sharply on October 10, with both countries accusing each other of provocation. The conflict became the deadliest confrontation between the two sides in recent years, prompting Qatar and Saudi Arabia to intervene diplomatically.

Regional powers expressed concern that the escalation could further destabilise an already volatile area, where extremist groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaida continue to pose a threat.