Unrest in Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan (4 incidents)
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- March 9, 2025
Violent Cross-Border Incidents of 2024 – Detailed Report
Several significant militant attacks and cross-border clashes in 2024 strained relations between Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan’s Taliban government, and separatist insurgents. Below is a chronology of four notable incidents – in January, March, and October 2024 – with details from official statements, military reports, and independent journalists, along with geopolitical context for each event.
January 2024 – Iran-Pakistan Cross-Border Strikes in Balochistan
(Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters) Aftermath of a Pakistani strike on an Iranian border village near Saravan, Sistan-Baluchestan, following tit-for-tat raids in January 2024 (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters) (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters).
In mid-January 2024, violence flared along the Iran–Pakistan border amid long-running Baloch insurgency. On January 16, 2024, Iran’s military launched drone and missile strikes into Pakistan’s Balochistan province, targeting what Tehran described as bases of the Sunni Baloch militant group Jaish al-Adl (JAA) in the Panjgur area (Timeline of cross-border hostilities between Pakistan and Iran over the last decade – World – DAWN.COM). Iranian officials claimed the operation was aimed at militants responsible for cross-border attacks into Iran. Pakistan’s Foreign Office, however, condemned the strike as a “blatant breach” of its sovereignty, stating that Iranian missiles hit a village and killed at least two Pakistani children (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters) (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters). Islamabad swiftly downgraded ties by recalling its ambassador in protest and warned it “reserved the right to retaliate” (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters) (Timeline of cross-border hostilities between Pakistan and Iran over the last decade – World – DAWN.COM).
On January 18, 2024, Pakistan carried out retaliatory airstrikes against militant hideouts inside Iran. The Pakistani military’s ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) confirmed a series of “highly coordinated and precision” strikes targeting camps of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province (Timeline of cross-border hostilities between Pakistan and Iran over the last decade – World – DAWN.COM) (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters). Codenamed operation “Marg Bar Sarmachar” (Death to Miscreants), the strikes were described by Pakistan’s foreign ministry as an act in “pursuit of Pakistan’s own security” that killed a number of “terrorists” (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters). Iranian media reported that several missiles hit near the town of Saravan, killing at least nine people including women and children (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters) (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters). Tehran strongly condemned Pakistan’s action, saying Pakistani drones had violated its airspace and caused civilian casualties (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters). The Iranian foreign ministry summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to lodge a protest (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters).
Both governments tried to contain the fallout from this unprecedented exchange of fire. Iran’s foreign ministry affirmed commitment to “good neighbourly” relations but urged Islamabad to prevent militants from using Pakistani soil (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters). Pakistan’s government likewise stated it “does not seek escalation” and that its retaliatory strike’s sole objective was to neutralize terrorist sanctuaries (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters). Analysts noted these tit-for-tat strikes were the most high-profile Iran–Pakistan border clashes in years, raising regional alarm (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters). The crisis prompted diplomatic outreach: within days, Tehran dispatched its foreign minister to Islamabad for talks, and the two sides agreed to bolster border security coordination to avoid further incidents (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters). The January skirmishes underscored how Baloch separatist militancy – straddling the Iran-Pakistan frontier – has become a flashpoint in an otherwise cordial bilateral relationship (Timeline of cross-border hostilities between Pakistan and Iran over the last decade – World – DAWN.COM) (After Decades Of Mistrust, Iran And Pakistan Join Forces Against …).
March 2024 – Pakistan’s Airstrikes on Taliban (TTP) Targets in Afghanistan
In March 2024, Pakistan’s conflict with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – also known as the Pakistani Taliban – spilled across the Afghan border, straining relations with Kabul’s Taliban government. On March 16, 2024, TTP militants launched a deadly assault on a Pakistani military post in North Waziristan (near the Afghan frontier), killing seven Pakistani soldiers (including two officers) (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan). In response to this and a surge of TTP attacks, Pakistan carried out retaliatory air raids on Afghan soil two days later.
Early on March 18, 2024, Pakistani Air Force jets struck several locations in Afghanistan’s Khost and Paktika provinces, targeting suspected TTP hideouts (Experts react: Pakistan just carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan. What’s next? – Atlantic Council) (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan). Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said these “intelligence-based” counterterrorism strikes were necessary to eliminate “terrorists responsible for killing hundreds of civilians and security forces” in Pakistan (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan) (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan). Islamabad has long accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the TTP – a network of militants waging an insurgency against the Pakistani state – and it reiterated demands that Kabul “deny safe havens” to the TTP leadership (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan) (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan). Pakistani officials alleged that “certain elements among those in power” in Kabul were tacitly patronizing the TTP as a proxy force (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan).
Afghan authorities, however, reported significant civilian casualties from the Pakistani airstrikes. Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated that Pakistani aircraft bombed residential areas in the border provinces before dawn on March 18, killing eight Afghan civilians – including five women and three children – and wounding others (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan) (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan). Kabul decried the strikes as a “reckless violation of Afghanistan’s territory” and summoned Pakistan’s envoy to file an official protest (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan) (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan). The Taliban Defense Ministry said its border units returned fire “with heavy weapons” at Pakistani military posts after the incursion (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan) (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan). This led to exchanges of gunfire at multiple points along the frontier on March 18, though major escalation was averted (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan).
Each side publicly blamed the other. Pakistan’s military maintained that it had struck only terrorist camps and “reiterated respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty” while acting in self-defense (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan) (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan). The Taliban regime in Kabul, for its part, denied that TTP fighters operate from Afghan soil and warned Islamabad against any further border aggression: “Afghanistan will not allow anyone to invade its territory,” Mujahid said, vowing retaliation if attacks recur (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan) (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan). The Afghan Foreign Ministry also claimed that later on March 18, Taliban forces hit a Pakistani military installation in cross-border shelling, though Pakistan did not officially confirm damage (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan) (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan).
Strategic analysts observed that this episode marked a new low in Pakistan–Afghanistan relations (Experts react: Pakistan just carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan. What’s next? – Atlantic Council) (Experts react: Pakistan just carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan. What’s next? – Atlantic Council). For decades, Islamabad backed the Afghan Taliban, but since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Pakistan has grown frustrated with Kabul’s unwillingness or inability to rein in the TTP sanctuary there (Experts react: Pakistan just carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan. What’s next? – Atlantic Council). The mid-March strikes signaled Islamabad’s growing impatience and willingness to use force across the border after suffering a wave of TTP terrorism. Although a full-blown Pakistan-Taliban conflict remained unlikely, both sides traded sharp rhetoric. Pakistan’s Prime Minister and army chief stressed that “Pakistan will act to protect its citizens” if Afghan authorities do not take action against TTP havens, while the Taliban cautioned that Pakistan’s internal security problems were its own to solve (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan) (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan). The incident highlighted the precarious security situation on the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier, where the TTP’s resurgence has become a major point of contention between the two governments (Pakistan just carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan. What’s next?) (Experts react: Pakistan just carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan. What’s next? – Atlantic Council).
March 2024 – Taliban Forces Clash with Iran on the Border
Around the same time, Afghanistan’s Taliban regime was involved in armed skirmishes with Iranian border guards – a reflection of lingering frictions between Tehran and Kabul. In early March 2024, a firefight erupted along the Iran–Afghanistan border in the vicinity of Hirmand (Nimroz province) over a border dispute. Local sources reported “fierce clashes” involving both small arms and artillery, as Taliban border units and Iranian guards exchanged fire across the frontier (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?). Both sides later downplayed the incident, but it underscored tensions linked to the longstanding Helmand River water rights dispute and border demarcation issues.
Iranian officials accused the Afghan Taliban of provoking the clash. Iran’s deputy police chief, Qasem Rezaei, claimed Taliban fighters “were the first to open fire” at an Iranian outpost (near Sasuli in Sistan-Baluchestan), ignoring warnings, which prompted Iranian forces to retaliate with a “decisive” response (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?). Iranian border guards asserted that they inflicted casualties on the Taliban during the exchange, and unconfirmed reports suggested at least one Taliban fighter was killed (At least three killed in clash on Iran-Afghan border | Reuters) (At least three killed in clash on Iran-Afghan border | Reuters). The Taliban government vehemently rejected Tehran’s version of events. Abdul Nafi Takor, spokesperson for the Afghan Interior Ministry, stated that Iranian border troops “fired toward…Nimroz province” without cause, and the Taliban guards “responded” in kind to defend Afghan territory (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?). Each side essentially blamed the other for triggering the hour-long gun battle.
The firefight led to immediate precautionary measures. Iran temporarily closed the Milak–Zaranj border crossing – a key trade gateway – and bolstered patrols in the area following the clash (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?) (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?). Both governments also moved swiftly to prevent any escalation. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi reported that local commanders from the two sides held talks shortly after the incident to restore calm, and by the next day tensions at the border had “eased” (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?) (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?). The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry likewise sent a delegation to Tehran that week, indicating a willingness to diplomatically address border issues (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?). Senior Iranian officials, however, issued stern warnings – Iran’s army ground forces commander cautioned that Tehran would “reconsider its approach” if the Taliban did not respect border agreements (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?).
These clashes came amid Iran’s escalating frustration over Afghanistan’s handling of shared water resources. A severe drought had reduced flows of the Helmand River into Iran’s Sistan region, and Tehran accused the Taliban of violating a 1973 water treaty by erecting obstacles and withholding Iran’s share (At least three killed in clash on Iran-Afghan border | Reuters) (Iran and Afghanistan are feuding over the Helmand River. The water …). In May 2023, those water tensions boiled over into a deadly skirmish that killed two Iranian guards and one Taliban fighter (At least three killed in clash on Iran-Afghan border | Reuters) (At least three killed in clash on Iran-Afghan border | Reuters). By early 2024, despite generally pragmatic Iran-Taliban ties, mistrust lingered. The March 2024 border clash – though brief – highlighted this mistrust. It demonstrated that even with a nominally friendly Islamist government in Kabul, Iran faces security challenges on its eastern border, whether from Taliban fighters asserting themselves or other extremists exploiting the porous frontier (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?) (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?). Both Tehran and Kabul publicly say they seek to avoid conflict, emphasizing that their “policy is not tension and conflict” (EXPLAINER: What is the Iran-Afghanistan water dispute?). Yet incidents like the Hirmand firefight show how quickly misunderstandings or local disputes (such as over canal digging or guard posts) can ignite violence, given the fragile state of Iran-Afghanistan relations.
October 2024 – Separatist Bombing Targeting Chinese Engineers in Karachi
(Police identifies bomber responsible for explosion near Karachi Airport | World News – Business Standard) Security personnel at the scene of the bombing near Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on Oct. 6, 2024, which destroyed multiple vehicles in a convoy of Chinese engineers (Photo: PTI/AP).
Pakistan faced a major domestic security incident in October 2024 when Baloch separatist militants struck deep in the port city of Karachi. On October 6, 2024 (Sunday night), a massive explosion ripped through a convoy of vehicles near the entrance of Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport. The convoy was carrying Chinese engineers and workers who had just arrived and were headed to an energy project site (‘Terrorist attack’ near Karachi airport kills two Chinese nationals, embassy says | Reuters). The blast engulfed around ten vehicles in flames, leaving at least three people dead – including two Chinese nationals – and injuring 11 to 17 others (Finance Ministry ‘clarifies’ Chinese engineers killed in Karachi attack not linked to IPP talks – Business – DAWN.COM) (Police identifies bomber responsible for explosion near Karachi Airport | World News – Business Standard). Pakistani officials initially said the cause was unclear, but it soon emerged to be a suicide car bombing. Wreckage at the scene indicated a vehicle laden with explosives had rammed into the convoy, causing the fiery explosion that was felt across the airport road area (Police identifies bomber responsible for explosion near Karachi Airport | World News – Business Standard) (Police identifies bomber responsible for explosion near Karachi Airport | World News – Business Standard).
By the next morning (October 7), the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) – an outlawed separatist insurgent group from Balochistan – claimed responsibility. In an emailed statement, the BLA said it had carried out a “vehicle-borne IED” attack targeting what it called a “high-level convoy of Chinese engineers and investors” near Karachi airport (Why Chinese workers are under attack from Baloch militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan | The Independent). The two Chinese fatalities were engineers working for the Port Qasim Electric Power Company, a Sino-Pakistani joint venture, and were in a van headed from the airport under security escort (‘Terrorist attack’ near Karachi airport kills two Chinese nationals, embassy says | Reuters). One Pakistani driver (or guard) was also killed. The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad swiftly condemned the bombing as a “terrorist attack”, expressing condolences for the victims and urging Pakistani authorities to “severely punish” the perpetrators (‘Terrorist attack’ near Karachi airport kills two Chinese nationals, embassy says | Reuters). Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry likewise denounced the blast as a “heinous terrorist attack” and promised it “would not go unpunished” (A Pakistani separatist group claims bombing that killed 2 Chinese …).
Pakistani security forces and investigators launched a major operation in the aftermath. Within days, police identified the suicide bomber as an operative of the BLA: a man who had registered the explosives-laden vehicle months earlier under his own name (Police identifies bomber responsible for explosion near Karachi Airport | World News – Business Standard) (Police identifies bomber responsible for explosion near Karachi Airport | World News – Business Standard). Raids were conducted in Karachi and Balochistan, and several suspects – including accomplices who facilitated the attacker – were arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (Police identifies bomber responsible for explosion near Karachi Airport | World News – Business Standard) (Police identifies bomber responsible for explosion near Karachi Airport | World News – Business Standard). The bombing prompted high-level attention in Islamabad. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar (and former PM Shehbaz Sharif) both vowed to ramp up security for Chinese nationals, stressing that Pakistan “stands committed to safeguarding our Chinese friends” and will “leave no stone unturned” to protect Chinese projects (‘Terrorist attack’ near Karachi airport kills two Chinese nationals, embassy says | Reuters). These assurances reflected Pakistan’s strategic reliance on Chinese investment through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has fueled economic development but also become a target for insurgents.
Geopolitical context: The Karachi airport attack was part of a broader pattern of insurgent violence against Chinese interests in Pakistan (Why Chinese workers are under attack from Baloch militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan | The Independent). Baloch separatist groups – such as the BLA – have for years waged an insurgency for independence or greater autonomy of mineral-rich Balochistan, and they resent the influx of Chinese projects which they claim exploit local resources without benefiting the Baloch people (Why Chinese workers are under attack from Baloch militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan | The Independent) (Why Chinese workers are under attack from Baloch militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan | The Independent). Militant attacks on Chinese nationals have escalated since 2018, including high-profile incidents like the assault on the Chinese consulate in Karachi (2018), the bombing of a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Dasu (2021), and a suicide bombing at Karachi University’s Confucius Institute (April 2022) (Why Chinese workers are under attack from Baloch militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan | The Independent). The October 2024 bombing was one of the deadliest such attacks in recent years. It not only strained Pakistan’s internal security apparatus but also put pressure on the Pakistan–China relationship, as Beijing grew increasingly alarmed about the safety of its citizens. Chinese officials urged Pakistan to “take more effective measures” against those targeting China’s overseas interests (A Pakistani separatist group claims bombing that killed 2 Chinese …) (‘Terrorist attack’ near Karachi airport kills two Chinese nationals, embassy says | Reuters). In response, Pakistan ramped up counter-insurgency operations in Balochistan in late 2024, arresting what it claimed was the “mastermind” of the Karachi attack by early 2025 (Mastermind of Karachi airport suicide attack arrested, says Pakistan …) (Mastermind of Karachi airport suicide attack arrested, says Pakistan …). The incident underscored the intersection of Pakistan’s domestic insurgencies with regional geopolitics – where separatists aim to derail major geopolitical initiatives like CPEC, and any successful attack can have diplomatic repercussions with key partners like China.
Conclusion: These four incidents from 2024 illustrate the volatile security landscape facing Pakistan and its neighbors. In Balochistan, a decades-old insurgency spilled across borders, drawing Iran and Pakistan into direct confrontation. Along the Afghan frontier, Pakistan’s fight against the TTP led to unprecedented airstrikes in Afghan territory, fraying ties with the Taliban regime. At the Iran–Afghan border, unresolved disputes and distrust sparked armed clashes between the Taliban and Iranian forces. And in Pakistan’s largest city Karachi, Baloch separatists carried out a high-profile terror attack targeting Chinese partners, underlining the global dimensions of local militancy. Each incident prompted official statements emphasizing sovereignty and retaliation, but also eventual calls for restraint and cooperation – highlighting a regional desire to prevent these conflicts from escalating into wider war. The events of 2024 thus brought into sharp focus the region’s interlinked security challenges, from ethno-separatist rebellions and jihadist terrorism to international rivalries, and the delicate balancing act governments must perform to address them.
Sources: Pakistani and Iranian government statements (via Reuters, Dawn) (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters) (Timeline of cross-border hostilities between Pakistan and Iran over the last decade – World – DAWN.COM); Afghan Taliban official releases (via Anadolu, VOA) (Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes inside Afghanistan) (Pakistani Fighter Planes Bomb ‘Terrorist Sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan); independent reportage and analyses by Reuters, Al Jazeera, Dawn, VOA, Anadolu Agency, and others (Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension | Reuters) (Why Chinese workers are under attack from Baloch militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan | The Independent). Each cited incident draws on on-the-ground reporting and credible local sources to ensure accuracy.
