SOUTH WAZIRISTAN — Pakistan accused Afghanistan of launching new cross-border attacks in South Waziristan on Sunday, with Pakistani officials reporting that at least three civilians were injured by gunfire. A spokesman for Pakistan's border forces described the incident as the most serious clash since a ceasefire was declared in March.

Afghanistan's Taliban authorities, in turn, accused Pakistan of launching cross-border attacks and said that four people were killed in the eastern Kunar province. The strikes marked the first major attack since Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed last month to halt the violence at peace talks mediated by China.

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban authorities, said that the Pakistani military had launched mortar and rocket attacks that wounded 45 people, including students, women, and children, and that homes and the Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University in Asadabad were targeted. "We strongly condemn these attacks by the Pakistani military regime, in which ordinary people, academic, and educational institutions were targeted, and declare them unforgivable war crimes," Fitrat said.

Pakistan's Information Ministry called the report a "blatant lie" and said there had been no attack on the Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on a ceasefire in March after weeks of violence. The truce was reached during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, and China said that the warring sides had agreed to avoid escalation. Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia have also made efforts to halt the conflict. Afghan authorities have reported sporadic violence since the truce.

Relations between the two countries have been tense since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan has demanded that Afghanistan curb the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan armed group, which has conducted regular deadly attacks from bases in Afghanistan. Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of sheltering the group, while Kabul rejects the charge and says that Pakistan harbours hostile groups and does not respect Afghanistan's sovereignty.

Pakistan has experienced a rise in violence in recent years, including suicide bombings and coordinated assaults targeting security forces. The border between the two countries has remained largely closed since cross-border violence in October froze bilateral trade. Heavy fighting occurred in February after Afghanistan launched an operation against the Pakistani military along the 2,640km Durand Line, and Pakistan launched air strikes on Kabul and other Afghan cities, declaring an "open war" between the two countries.