The Pakistan government said on Thursday night that the Afghan Taliban had opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations across the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was being given an “immediate and effective response”.
“Afghan Taliban regime unprovoked action along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border given an immediate, and effective response.
“Afghan Taliban miscalculated and opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations across Pakistan Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is being met with immediate, and effective response by Pakistan’s security forces,” the information ministry said in a post on X.
The statement added that the “Taliban regime forces are being delivered punishment in Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors”.
It said that early reports had confirmed heavy casualties on the Afghan side with multiple posts and equipment destroyed.
“Pakistan will take all necessary measures to ensure its territorial integrity and the safety and security of its citizens,” the statement said.
According to security sources, counter attacks by Pakistan’s forces destroyed “Taliban’s hideouts and the khawarij fled”.
The sources said the forces targeted and destroyed the Afghan Taliban’s check post across the border from the Chitral sector and also responded with full force in Nawagai sector Bajaur, Tirah Khyber, Mohmand district and Arandu sector in Chitral.
Security forces destroyed two Afghan posts across the border from Bajaur, the sources said.
Sources in Landi Kotal said that the Afghan side fired artillery shells at the border posts on Maro Sar and Shah Kot Sar in the Bazaar-Zakhakhel area.
They said that at least two mortar shells fell in open compounds near a residential area but no damage to property or casualties were reported.
The cross firing started around 6pm and continued until late night, with local residents taking refuge in safe places.
Moreover, security sources said at least 30 members of Afghan forces were killed in retaliation.
Afghan forces had [launched sudden attacks] at multiple points in Wragha Sar, Maro Sar and Shahkot Sar areas while unsuccessfully targeting Pakistani border posts on Tuesday as well. But, security forces had effectively responded to the cross-border attack.
Parliamentary Affair Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also said in a post on social media platform X that the Afghan Taliban had carried out “provocative actions” along the border in KP, and the security forces gave a decisive response.
He added that the “enemy’s advances in Chitral, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors were thwarted and heavy losses were inflicted on them”.
The minister said, citing initial reports, that multiple checkposts and military equipment of the Afghan side had been destroyed.
“Pakistan will not compromise on its territorial integrity, sovereignty and protection of its people. Any kind of aggression will be responded to effectively, immediately and with full force,” he asserted. The latest clashes along the border come less than a week after Pakistan targeted terrorist camps and hideouts overnight in the Nangarhar and Paktika provinces of Afghanistan.
While an official initially said that “more than 80” terrorists had been killed in the air strikes, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry later said during an address in the Senate that there were reports of over 100 terrorists being killed.
The information ministry said at the time that the strikes were carried out in response to a number of terrorist attacks inside Pakistan – such as the suicide bombing at an Islamabad Imambargah and a number of attacks in Bannu and Bajaur during the holy month of Ramazan.
“Pakistan has conclusive evidence that these acts of terrorism were perpetrated by khawarij at the behest of their Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers,” the ministry said, adding that in response, Pakistan carried out “intelligence-based selective targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to Pakistani Taliban [Fitna-al-Khawarij] and its affiliates, and [Islamic State-Khorasan] at the border region of Pakistan Afghan border with precision and accuracy”.
Fitna-al-Khawarij is the term the state uses to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.