Six days on, border clashes between Afghan border guards and Pakistani forces continue along the Durand Line in Zazai Maidan district of Khost.
Residents of Zazai Maidan, who are calling for an end to the conflict, report that the sounds of fighting can still be heard intermittently.
Enayatullah, a resident of Zazai Maidan, Khost, said: “Our request from both sides is to resolve the border issues through diplomatic means, through jirgas or international principles that exist in the world.”
Helmand Khan, another resident of Zazai Maidan, said: “When the fighting started, we thought it would be short-lived, but unfortunately, it continued until morning. People who were near the border had to abandon their homes.”
So far, the Islamic Emirate has not commented on the continuation of these clashes.
Some military analysts believe that the ongoing tensions could negatively impact the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Samar Sadat, a military analyst”This is a threat to the stability and security of the region. Regional intelligence agencies are behind these clashes. Pakistan wants the Durand Line to be officially recognized after fencing and constructing facilities along it.”
Najib-ur-Rahman Shamal, an international relations analyst, said: “The continuation of this situation could further damage the already strained relations between Kabul and Islamabad and lead to more human casualties in the region, which is not in the interest of either Afghanistan or Pakistan under the current circumstances.”
On Wednesday evening, as Islamic Emirate forces were constructing a security outpost in the Zazi Maidan district of Khost near the disputed Durand Line, clashes broke out between Afghan and Pakistani border guards. Since then, the military forces of both countries have engaged in several skirmishes in the area.