Constant tensions along the ill-defined Afghan-Pakistan border look to be coming to a head again, with the Afghan Army issuing a statement in which they instruct personnel to prepare for retaliatory fire against the Pakistani military in case they cross the border.
This comes after an overnight incident in Kandahar, in which Pakistani artillery fired across the border, killing nine civilians and wounding scores of others in a residential area. Details on this attack are still not entirely clear.
The incidents are not clear, but not unusual, as the Durand Line border tends to be contested by both sides, and cross-border fire happens, often without a solid explanation.
A similar cross-border fight broke out in late July, with both sides sending reinforcements and talking escalation, before the situation temporarily calmed down. At the time, the fighting was over crowds at the border. It’s not clear what sparked this.
If either Pakistan or Afghanistan had a lick of sense, they’d work on being best friends.