China is concerned about recent clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan and has asked the two countries to protect its nationals and investments in the region, Beijing's foreign ministry said on Monday.

Isolated confrontations have intensified over the past week into the sharpest escalation of violence between the two countries in years.

Pakistan has closed the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan to all commercial and pedestrian traffic following a surge in cross-border violence,

The Afghan Taliban has accused Pakistan of violating Kabul's "sovereign territory", describing it as an "unprecedented, violent, and provocative act". The allegation comes after two loud blasts were heard in the city late on Thursday.

The two sides have skirmished along the border in the past, but Saturday night’s heavy clashes underscore the deepening tensions.

Afghanistan and Pakistan traded heavy fire along their shared border after Taliban forces responded to Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul amid escalating tensions.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday condemned Afghan aggression, saying that Pakistan would not compromise on its sovereignty under any circumstances.

A telecommunications blackout and restrictions on social media have further isolated Afghans who rely on the internet as a lifeline.