Explainer-Afghanistan-Pakistan is the latest conflict Trump wants to solve. Why has it erupted?

A man sits next to trucks parked at the Torkham border crossing, after Pakistan closed border crossings with Afghanistan, following exchanges of fire between the forces of the two countries, in Torkham, Pakistan, October 12, 2025. REUTERS/Shahid Shinwari

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Border clashes over the weekend between Afghanistan and Pakistan led to the deaths of dozens of soldiers, the most serious clash between the two countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, and gained the attention of U.S. PresidentDonald Trump. By Monday, the exchange of fire had ceased.

WHAT HAPPENED?