The guns roared again at Chaman. Afghan forces opened fire across the border, and Pakistan’s retaliation left confirmed Afghan casualties. This was not a random skirmish; rather, part of a relentless pattern. The South Asia Terrorism Portal has logged more than 118 cross-border firing incidents since August 2021, mostly initiated from the Afghan side. This is a systematic escalation, not a mistake. The border is bleeding because Afghanistan has become the epicenter of militancy in the region.

The evidence is overwhelming. The United Nations Monitoring Report of 2024 confirmed that over 20 extremist groups operate freely inside Afghanistan. Among them are the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Al Qaeda Indian Subcontinent. Afghanistan is no longer just unstable—it is a militant sanctuary. UNAMA has verified TTP camps in Kunar, Nuristan, Paktika, and Khost, from which attacks inside Pakistan are orchestrated. ISKP has surged with ferocity, its attacks increasing by 120 percent since 2022, many designed to strike across the border. Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Authority has reported that more than 70 percent of major terror attacks in 2024–25 had direct links to Afghan........

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