Taliban-Pakistan Border Tensions Escalate As Group Orders Evacuation Of Residents

The Taliban has instructed residents in the border areas of Bahram Chah district, Helmand province, to evacuate due to the risk of intensified clashes between Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards, local sources have reported.

Sporadic fighting between the two sides has reportedly been ongoing for the past two days along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. According to a local resident, both Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards have reinforced their positions in the area, with the Taliban urging civilians to leave to prevent casualties in the event of heavy fighting.

Videos shared by local residents with Afghanistan International show Taliban outposts in the region flying the group’s white flags. Reports also indicate that the Taliban has blocked certain roads to the public, raising concerns about the potential for a full-scale conflict.

Neither the Taliban nor Pakistani authorities have issued official statements regarding the ongoing dispute over the border outpost. However, Taliban security sources and local residents confirmed that shooting erupted between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters on Monday night.

To bolster their presence, the Taliban has deployed reinforcements from the 205th Corps of Kandahar and Helmand to the region on Tuesday, signalling heightened tensions.

Bahram Chah, a notorious hub for drug trafficking, has historically played a significant role in financing the Taliban. During their insurgency against the former Afghan government, the group relied heavily on revenue from the drug trade to fund its operations.

Last week, farmers and drug traffickers in the district staged protests, alleging that the Taliban intended not only to impose taxes on them but also to destroy their opium poppy fields, a move that could disrupt the region’s illicit economy.