Five Pakistani soldiers and 25 terrorists were killed during border clashes with Afghanistan, the Pakistani Army said .

According to a report by The Times of India, the media wing of the Pakistani military stated that these clashes took place while Afghan and Pakistani officials were meeting in Istanbul amid the recent ceasefire agreement.

Questioning the timing of clashes, in a post on X, DG ISPR said, “It is significant to point out that these infiltration attempts by Fitna al Khwarij are being carried out at a time when delegations of Pakistan and Afghanistan are engaged in talks in Türkiye; casting doubts on intentions of Interim Afghan Government with regards to addressing the issue of terrorism emanating from its soil.”

” Pakistan has consistently been asking Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border and is expected to fulfil its obligations of Doha Agreement and deny the use of Afghan soil by Khwarij against Pakistan,” It further added.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Islamabad will enter into an “open war” with Kabul if the ongoing peace talks in Istanbul fail, TOLO News reported. The meetings aim to solve the dispute and rising tensions along the Afghan-Pak border after weeks of deadly clashes and ceasefire violations.

“In a conversation with reporters, Khawaja Asif added that although no incidents or clashes have occurred in recent days, indicating that the Doha Agreement has been somewhat effective,” TOLO News said.
However, officials from the Afghanistan government have not responded to these remarks by Pakistan’s Defence Minister, it said.

Delegations from both countries are in Turkey for the second round of discussions. The talks focus on implementing the Doha agreement, stopping cross-border attacks, and rebuilding trust.