ISLAMABAD (MNN); Security forces on Saturday retaliated against what Pakistani security sources described as unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces at several points along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Upper Kurram district.
According to state broadcaster PTV News and the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the firing occurred in the Taldah (Taida) sector of Upper Kurram and near Ghozgarhi. Security sources alleged that Afghan Taliban forces opened fire to facilitate the cross-border movement of foreign militants.
The Pakistan Army responded with heavy weapons and artillery, targeting Afghan Taliban positions, including the Topser (Topsar) post and the Shipola base camp, the reports said.
Several Afghan Taliban personnel were reportedly killed during the retaliatory action near Ghozgarhi, while the Shipola base camp was said to have been destroyed. Security sources also claimed that Taliban personnel abandoned a border post following the Pakistani response.
The exchange of fire was continuing in the area, according to APP, which cited security sources. Independent confirmation of the reported casualties and damage was not provided in the reports.
Pakistan-Afghanistan talks
The latest border clashes came a day after Pakistan’s Foreign Office reiterated that dialogue with Afghanistan could not be unconditional, while rejecting suggestions that Islamabad was unwilling to engage with Kabul.
At the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Pakistan remained open to discussions with Afghan representatives and would welcome sincere efforts by friendly countries to address its security concerns and promote regional peace and stability.
Khan said he was not aware of any separate, formal Russian mediation initiative under discussion. His remarks followed Russia’s renewed expression of readiness to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan, although Islamabad had denied that a formal initiative was underway.
The two neighbours have remained at odds over Pakistan’s concerns that militant groups are operating from Afghan territory and carrying out attacks inside Pakistan.
Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations
The border incident follows a series of Pakistani military operations targeting alleged militant hideouts in Afghanistan.
On October 1, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said the country had conducted “well-planned and calibrated” aerial strikes against terrorist hideouts at two locations in Afghanistan as part of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. The ministry said multiple militants belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan had been killed.
Earlier, on September 21, Pakistan carried out airstrikes in the border region following major terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The government said more than 28 militants were killed in that operation.
Pakistan subsequently reported shooting down eight drones that had entered its airspace near the Torkham border and Kohat. Islamabad later said it conducted precision aerial and drone strikes at 10 locations in Afghanistan in response to the reported incursions. The Foreign Office also said a diplomatic demarche was delivered to the Afghan side on September 26 over the September 23 airspace violation.
Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February 2026 following unprovoked cross-border firing by Afghan Taliban forces. The operation began months after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025 following clashes at several border points.
Despite multiple rounds of discussions, Islamabad and Kabul have yet to resolve their differences, with the presence and activities of militant groups in Afghanistan remaining a major source of tension.
Rising militant violence in Pakistan
Pakistan has reported a significant increase in cross-border militant incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.
According to figures compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based independent think tank, Pakistan recorded 225 militant attacks in September 2026, compared with 199 in August — an increase of 13 per cent. The number of attacks rose for the third consecutive month, reaching the highest monthly level in 12 years, according to the data cited in the report.
Islamabad has repeatedly called on Kabul to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks against Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban’s position on the latest border incident was not included in the reports cited here.
