WEB DESK: The Pakistan Army successfully repelled multiple cross-border attacks launched by the Afghan Taliban and the militant faction known as Fitna al-Khawarij near Chaman’s Spin Boldak area early Wednesday morning, according to security sources.
Sources said the assaults were carried out simultaneously at three locations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. A swift and targeted response from Pakistani troops forced the attackers to retreat. Intelligence reports indicate that between 15 and 20 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed during the exchange of fire.
Afghan Taliban suffer huge losses after initiating gunfire in Kurram
The militants reportedly used nearby villages and civilians as human shields during the attack, sources added. In a separate act of aggression, the attackers destroyed the Pak-Afghan Friendship Gate, a move security officials said demonstrated the Taliban’s opposition to cross-border trade and local movement.
Security officials further confirmed that the army had also foiled a similar assault by the Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij militants on the Kurram sector the previous night. During that engagement, Pakistani forces destroyed eight Taliban posts and six tanks, killing multiple militants and seizing U.S.-made weapons.
ISPR to Afghan Taliban: Pakistan to continue neutralising terror targets
Following the army’s strong retaliatory action, the Kurram region is currently calm, though reports suggest that additional Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij fighters are regrouping near Spin Boldak.
The incidents mark a sharp escalation in cross-border hostilities, with Pakistani security forces vowing to respond firmly to any attempts to undermine border stability or threaten local communities.
Pakistan warns Taliban regime of unwavering, befitting response
Earlier on Tuesday, the Pakistani armed forces on responded decisively to unprovoked cross-border firing by the Afghan Taliban and TTP, in Kurram district, destroying several Taliban posts and tanks in retaliatory fire. Security sources said multiple militants were killed, including a key TTP commander, as footages showed smoke and flames rising from Taliban positions. By late Tuesday night, four tank posts, including Shamshad, had been destroyed.
The clashes came as Foreign Secretary also briefed diplomats in Islamabad on Pakistan’s “legitimate security concerns” and its “unwavering resolve” to protect national integrity. The latest hostilities underscored Islamabad’s growing frustration with the Afghan Taliban for sheltering militant groups such as the TTP, ETIM, Al Qaeda and Daesh. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar had earlier warned at the UN that the presence of over two dozen terrorist organisations inside Afghanistan posed a “grave threat” to regional and global peace.