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New hostilities broke out along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border early on Wednesday morning, with both parties accusing the other of initiating lethal confrontations.

The Pakistani armed forces stated that its forces had eliminated "15-20 Afghan Taliban" and injured many in the Spin Boldak border district.

A Taliban government spokesman said that twelve non-combatants had been killed and over a hundred injured by artillery from Pakistan. He further stated that several military personnel had been killed. Not one of the reported deaths could be independently confirmed.

Violence between the neighbors has flared since explosions shook Afghanistan recently, which Kabul attributed on Pakistan. The Afghan leadership deny claims that it is harboring militants targeting Pakistan.

Social Media and Military Confrontations

The two sides are not only fighting for the advantage on the border, but also on social media, attempting to persuade the general population that their side is inflicting greater losses.

The latest fighting follow intense border confrontations over the past few days, when the Afghan forces asserted to have eliminated 58 members of the Pakistani military and Pakistan reported it killed 200 "Taliban and affiliated insurgents". The claimed casualty figures provided by each side could not be independently verified.

Several days of unstable calm that had lasted since the weekend were shattered on Wednesday morning.

Local Reports and Consequences

Footage allegedly of the conflict and its aftermath have been shared on the internet and on social channels, including footage claiming to be of those deceased and blurry shots from low-light cameras claiming to be of guard positions destroyed. These videos have not been authenticated.

A informant in Spin Boldak in Afghanistan reported that fighting broke out at around 04:00 local time (23:30 GMT on the previous day). Another local in Spin Boldak, who lives about a short distance away from the border crossing, said that "intense hostilities persisted for almost several hours".

"I see unmanned aircraft and fighter planes soaring over us, some of our relatives are injured," they said.

A doctor in one of the medical facilities in the region reported that he tallied "7 fatalities and 36 wounded brought to the medical center", including males, women and children.

The situation were "tense" and additional victims were being transferred to hospital, he said.

Evacuations and International Reactions

A local authority figure in Spin Boldak stated that "hundreds of families have been displaced since last night due to the heavy clashes". He mentioned they were on "high alert" after a several military positions were attacked by Pakistani jets. He further indicated that they had the bodies of two armed forces members.

In a distinct overnight clash on Pakistan's western border, the Islamabad's forces said that twenty-five to thirty Taliban and Pakistani Taliban fighters were "suspected" to have been eliminated.

The clashes have prompted calls for reduced tensions from other countries including Beijing and Moscow, as well as a proposal from US President Donald Trump that he could intervene to facilitate a ceasefire.

On that day, a UN official, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, wrote on a social media platform that he was "deeply concerned" by accounts of non-combatant deaths and displacement because of the fighting.

"I urge all parties to practice the utmost caution, safeguard civilians, and follow global regulations," he stated.

Long-Standing Tensions

Pakistan has for years alleged the Afghan Taliban of allowing the Pakistan Taliban to function from their territory and battle against the Islamabad government in an effort to impose a rigid Islamic-led system of governance.

The Taliban leadership has consistently rejected these allegations.