Taliban and Pakistani Forces Trade Deadly Mortar Fire as Third Week of Border Hostilities Claims Child Victims

Mortar fire kills two children in Afghanistan as "open war" with Pakistan enters its third week, involving airstrikes on Kabul and Kandahar.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 16, 2026, 11:04 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Associated Press

Escalation of Lethal Artillery Exchanges

The border conflict between Afghanistan’s Taliban administration and the Pakistani military has entered its third consecutive week with a devastating toll on civilian populations. Afghan officials reported on Monday that at least two children were killed and ten others wounded during an overnight exchange of fire that spanned multiple locations along the shared frontier. Mortar shells fired from the Pakistani side struck several villages in the southeastern province of Khost, resulting in the destruction of multiple private homes. This latest surge in violence persists despite repeated calls from the international community for an immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomatic negotiations.

Retaliatory Strikes and Civilian Displacement

The recent Afghan casualties follow a deadly incident in Pakistan’s northwestern Bajaur district, where a mortar launched from Afghanistan struck a residential home on Sunday. That attack claimed the lives of four family members and left several others, including a five-year-old child, severely injured. In response, Pakistani military forces targeted Afghan positions along the border on Monday, aiming at the suspected origins of the Sunday strike. Residents in the border regions describe the current atmosphere as one of total instability, with both sides utilizing heavy artillery that frequently misses military targets and impacts civilian infrastructure.

Airstrikes and the Rhetoric of Open War

The conflict has moved beyond border skirmishes, involving high-profile Pakistani airstrikes on the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the southern province of Kandahar. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has characterized the situation as an "open war," citing the Taliban's deployment of drones against Pakistani civilians as a definitive "red line." Over the weekend, the Pakistani Air Force targeted what it described as technical support infrastructure and equipment storage sites in Kandahar. While Islamabad claims these sites were used for cross-border operations, Kabul officials maintain that the strikes hit a drug rehabilitation center and an empty security post.