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Fresh hostilities erupted along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border early on Wednesday morning, with each side accusing the other of starting deadly confrontations.

The Pakistani armed forces stated that its forces had killed "fifteen to twenty Taliban fighters" and wounded many in the Spin Boldak district frontier area.

A Afghan authorities representative claimed that 12 non-combatants had been killed and more than 100 wounded by artillery from Pakistan. He added that numerous Pakistani soldiers had been killed. None of the alleged deaths could be independently confirmed.

Violence between the neighbors has flared since blasts rocked Afghanistan last week, which Kabul blamed on Islamabad. The Afghan leadership deny allegations that it is harboring armed groups targeting Pakistan.

Social Media and Armed Confrontations

The two sides are not only fighting for the advantage on the border, but also on social media, attempting to convince the public that their side is inflicting more damage.

The latest clashes follow severe border confrontations over the past few days, when the Afghan forces claimed to have killed fifty-eight members of the Pakistani military and Pakistan said it neutralized two hundred "Taliban and affiliated insurgents". The reported death tolls announced by both parties could not be independently verified.

A few days of fragile calm that had persisted since the weekend were broken on Wednesday.

On-the-Ground Accounts and Impact

Videos purportedly of the fighting and its aftereffects have been shared online and on messaging groups, including footage claiming to be of those deceased and blurry shots from low-light cameras claiming to be of guard positions destroyed. These recordings have not been authenticated.

A source in Spin Boldak in Afghanistan stated that fighting erupted at around 4 a.m. local time (23:30 GMT on Tuesday). Another resident in Spin Boldak, who lives about a short distance away from the frontier post, said that "very heavy clashes continued for almost five hours".

"I see drones and jets flying over us, some of our relatives are injured," they said.

A doctor in one of the medical facilities in Spin Boldak reported that he counted "seven fatalities and thirty-six wounded transported to the hospital", including men, females and children.

The circumstances were "tense" and more victims were being transferred to medical care, he said.

Evacuations and Global Reactions

A local Taliban official in Spin Boldak announced that "hundreds of households have been forced to flee since the previous evening due to the intense fighting". He mentioned they were on "high alert" after a few Taliban posts were attacked by Pakistani jets. He added that they had the bodies of 2 armed forces members.

In a separate overnight clash on Pakistan's western frontier, the Pakistani military said that 25 to 30 Taliban and local insurgent fighters were "suspected" to have been eliminated.

The hostilities have prompted calls for de-escalation from other countries including China and Russia, as well as a suggestion from the American leader that he could step in to facilitate peace.

On that day, a UN official, UN special rapporteur on the conditions of civil liberties in Afghanistan, wrote on a social media platform that he was "deeply concerned" by reports of non-combatant deaths and evacuations because of the clashes.

"I urge all parties to practice maximum restraint, safeguard civilians, and abide by international law," he wrote.

Historical Tensions

Islamabad has long alleged the Afghan Taliban of allowing the Pakistan Taliban to operate from their territory and fight against the Islamabad government in an effort to impose a rigid Islamic-led system of governance.

The Taliban leadership has always denied these allegations.