Casualties Feared As Afghan Forces Destroy Friendship Gate, Pakistan Set To Use Air Power | Exclusive

Last Updated:October 15, 2025, 14:52 IST

The renewed fighting follows weeks of tension after Islamabad accused the Taliban government in Kabul of harbouring TTP militants

Taliban security personnel on a Soviet-era tank during clashes with Pakistani border forces in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province. (AFP)

In a dramatic escalation of tensions at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Taliban forces launched coordinated attacks on at least six different locations along the border in Chaman at around 2am, CNN-News18 has exclusively learned.

The “Bab-e-Dosti" (Pakistan-Afghanistan Friendship Gate)—a key symbol of cross-border ties—was officially targeted and destroyed by the Taliban-aligned Afghan border forces. The attack, which took place on the Afghan side of the Chaman border, involved the use of both small arms and heavy weapons, triggering fierce retaliatory fire from the Pakistani side.

According to intelligence sources, multiple Pakistani civilians have been killed and injured in the crossfire. Casualties have also been reported on the Afghan side, although the exact toll remains unclear.

In response, Pakistan has reportedly put its air force on high alert, with key installations at Jacobabad and Sargodha Airbases placed under operational standby, sources told CNN-News18. Pilots have been instructed to remain on standby for potential airborne action, signalling the possibility of targeted airstrikes across the border.

In retaliatory strikes, Pakistan allegedly targeted TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan) training centres and Afghan Taliban military posts that were reportedly providing cover to TTP operatives. A senior Pakistani security official claimed that around 50 fighters affiliated with the TTP and the Afghan Taliban have been killed in these operations.

The Afghan Taliban have confirmed that 12 people were killed and over 100 others injured in retaliatory Pakistani airstrikes.

The Chaman crossing has historically been a flashpoint of border tensions between the two countries, but Wednesday’s events mark a significant and dangerous escalation. This comes amid ongoing friction over the presence of TTP fighters in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s cross-border security operations.

Sources added that the TTP has intensified ambush-style raids and IED strikes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Afghan Taliban units, many battle-hardened from years of insurgency, are now targeting Pakistani check-posts with precision weaponry. Reports indicate that several Pakistani positions have been overrun or abandoned temporarily due to heavy fire.

The renewed fighting follows weeks of tension after Islamabad accused the Taliban government in Kabul of harbouring TTP militants.

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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