ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said its security forces delivered an “immediate and effective response” after unprovoked fire by Afghan Taliban forces along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, as tensions between the two neighbours escalated sharply following recent militant attacks.
In a statement, the information ministry said Afghan Taliban forces “miscalculated and opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations across the Pakistan–Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” prompting swift and decisive retaliation by Pakistan’s security forces.
“Taliban regime forces are being delivered punishment in Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors,” the ministry said, adding that early reports indicated heavy casualties on the Afghan side, with multiple posts and military equipment destroyed.
“Pakistan will take all necessary measures to ensure its territorial integrity and the safety and security of its citizens,” the statement said.
“What Pakistan is facing on the western border is not just terrorism, it is war,” said Brigadier (retd) Nadir Mir, a defence analyst, speaking on Pakistan Television. “This is not the action of a terrorist group alone. The Kabul regime, in concert with terrorist elements, is unleashing war against Pakistan.”
Visuals circulated by Afghan security sources showed armoured vehicles moving through rugged, mountainous terrain at night, illuminated by gunfire, with sustained automatic weapon fire audible. Pakistan TV Digital could not independently confirm the precise location, timing, or context of the footage.
The exchanges along the roughly 2,600-kilometre Pakistan–Afghanistan border mark the latest flare-up threatening a fragile ceasefire that followed deadly clashes in October.
Earlier this week, Afghan Taliban authorities warned they would take an “appropriate and measured response” following Pakistan’s recent airstrikes, which Islamabad said targeted militant infrastructure inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan said the current escalation follows a series of suicide bombings inside the country, including attacks during the holy month of Ramzan.
According to the ministry, Pakistan conducted precision airstrikes on seven terrorist camps and hideouts along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border after authorities established links between the attackers and Afghanistan-based militant leadership.
The ministry said the strikes targeted camps linked to Fitna al Khwarij, Pakistan’s term for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), groups Islamabad says were responsible for recent attacks on Pakistani soil.
Officials said the attacks included a suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad, as well as incidents in the northwestern districts of Bajaur and Bannu. A further suicide bombing in Bannu earlier this week heightened security concerns, prompting increased military vigilance.
According to the ministry, responsibility for the attacks was claimed by Afghanistan-based elements of Fitna al Khwarij and ISKP, with investigations linking the attackers to leadership and handlers operating from across the border.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged the interim authorities in Afghanistan to take verifiable action to prevent the use of Afghan territory by terrorist groups planning and executing attacks against Pakistan.
Despite these efforts, the ministry said, no substantive action was taken, leaving Pakistan with no option but to act in “retributive response” to safeguard its citizens and national security.
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