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New fighting broke out along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier early on Wednesday, with both parties blaming the other of initiating deadly clashes.

The Pakistani armed forces stated that its troops had eliminated "15-20 Taliban fighters" and wounded many in the Spin Boldak district frontier area.

A Afghan authorities representative said that twelve non-combatants had been killed and more than 100 injured by Pakistani firing. He further stated that numerous military personnel had been killed. None of the reported fatalities could be independently confirmed.

Violence between the neighbouring countries has flared since blasts rocked Afghanistan last week, which Kabul blamed on Islamabad. The Afghan leadership deny claims that it is sheltering militants aiming at Pakistan.

Social Media and Military Engagements

The opposing forces are not only battling for the upper hand on the border, but also on social media, attempting to convince the public that their faction is inflicting more damage.

The most recent clashes follow severe cross-border hostilities over the weekend, when the Taliban claimed to have eliminated fifty-eight members of the Islamabad's armed forces and Islamabad said it neutralized two hundred "Taliban and affiliated insurgents". The claimed death tolls provided by each side could not be confirmed by external sources.

A few days of unstable calm that had persisted since the recent days were shattered on Wednesday.

On-the-Ground Accounts and Consequences

Footage allegedly of the fighting and its aftereffects have been shared on the internet and on social channels, including images claiming to be of those deceased and grainy shots from low-light cameras purporting to be of guard positions demolished. These recordings have not been authenticated.

A source in the border area in Afghanistan reported that fighting erupted at around 04:00 local time (23:30 GMT on the previous day). Another resident in Spin Boldak, who lives about one kilometre away from the frontier post, said that "intense clashes persisted for almost several hours".

"I see drones and fighter planes flying over us, some of our family members are injured," they said.

A medical professional in one of the medical facilities in the region reported that he tallied "seven bodies and thirty-six wounded transported to the medical center", including males, women and children.

The circumstances were "strained" and more casualties were being taken to hospital, he noted.

Displacement and International Reactions

A regional authority figure in Spin Boldak announced that "hundreds of families have been forced to flee since last night due to the intense clashes". He said they were on "high alert" after a few military positions were attacked by aircraft from Pakistan. He further indicated that they had the remains of two Pakistani military members.

In a distinct overnight engagement on the western frontier, the Pakistani military said that twenty-five to thirty militant and local insurgent fighters were "suspected" to have been killed.

The clashes have led to calls for reduced tensions from foreign nations including Beijing and Russia, as well as a suggestion from the American leader that he could step in to broker a ceasefire.

On Wednesday, a UN official, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, posted on a social media platform that he was "very worried" by reports of non-combatant deaths and displacement because of the clashes.

"I call on everyone involved to practice the utmost caution, protect non-combatants, and follow international law," he wrote.

Historical Disputes

Pakistan has for years accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing the Pakistan Taliban to operate from their territory and fight against the Islamabad government in an effort to enforce a rigid religion-based system of rule.

The Afghan Taliban government has always denied this.