'God protected us' says man after fleeing border area as Pakistan, Afghan Taliban forces clash

Record ID: 2359044

  • Title: 'God protected us' says man after fleeing border area as Pakistan, Afghan Taliban forces clash
  • Date: 28th February 2026
  • Summary: NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN (FEBRUARY 28, 2026) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DISPLACED WOMEN AND CHILDREN SITTING ON CARPET IN SCHOOL COURTYARD DISPLACED MEN AND CHILDREN SITTING ON CARPET IN SCHOOL COURTYARD CHILDREN IN SCHOOL COURTYARD (SOUNDBITE) (Pashto) DISPLACED MAN, ISMALEEL, SAYING: "We live in Torkham. We have been there for about 15 years. For the past few days, there has bee
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: AFGHANISTAN DIAPLACED PAKISTAN TALIBAN
  • Location: NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN
  • City: NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA001932528022026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Displaced people from the Torkham border area recounted fleeing scenes of bombing and gunfire as they sought refuge in Nangarhar City, as fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban military entered its third day on Saturday (February 28).
    "There was bombing and gunfire going on. God protected us. We escaped from there in a hurry and came here on foot,” said Ismaleel, who fled for safety with his elderly father, by walking for hours.
    Pakistan's strikes on Friday (February 27) hit Taliban military installations and posts, including in Kabul and Kandahar, in one of the deepest Pakistani incursions into its western neighbour in years, officials said.
    Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harbouring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, who it claims are waging an insurgency inside Pakistan, a charge the Taliban denies.
    Pakistan described its actions as a response to cross-border assaults, while Kabul denounced them as a breach of its sovereignty, saying it remained open to dialogue but warned any wider conflict would result in serious consequences.
    The fighting has raised the risk of a protracted conflict along the rugged 2,600-km (1,615-mile) frontier.
    (Production: Ahmad Masih, Sayed Hassib)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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