Escalating border clashes as Pakistani forces kill Afghan Taliban fighters amid drone strikes and cross-border strikes with disputed casualty reports.

Pakistani forces said they killed several Afghan Taliban fighters during a border clash in Gulistan. The exchange, after Pakistan's strikes inside Afghanistan, has sharply raised tensions with Kabul.

Pakistan accused Afghan Taliban forces of shelling border posts after troops foiled a militant infiltration attempt. The clash has sharpened strains between Kabul and Islamabad just as regional mediation efforts face renewed pressure.