Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Erupts in Fierce Clashes: 23 Pakistani Soldiers, Over 200 Taliban Fighters Killed
Islamabad/Peshawar: At least 23 Pakistani soldiers and more than 200 Taliban and affiliated militants were killed in intense overnight clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Pakistani Army said on Sunday, as tensions between the two neighbours reached a new high amid mutual accusations of cross-border aggression.
According to the army, the confrontation began when Afghan Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters launched an “unprovoked attack” on Pakistani positions along the border on the night of October 11–12. The “cowardly action,” it said, involved cross-border fire and limited physical raids aimed at destabilising the frontier and promoting terrorism.
Pakistani troops “repelled the assault decisively” and inflicted “heavy casualties” on Taliban and TTP forces. Precision strikes and ground raids were carried out on Taliban camps, outposts, and training facilities inside Afghan territory, the statement said.
During the fierce fighting, 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 29 injured. Over 200 Taliban and affiliated militants were “neutralised,” with 21 hostile positions “briefly captured” and multiple terrorist camps rendered inoperative. The army added that the structural damage to Taliban posts and networks was “extensive,” stretching from tactical to operational depth.
While asserting that all measures were taken to avoid civilian casualties, the Pakistan Army warned that it would not tolerate the “treacherous use of Afghan soil for terrorism.” It urged Kabul to take “immediate and verifiable action” against groups operating from Afghan territory, even as it reiterated a preference for “constructive diplomacy” over confrontation.
The clashes coincided with the visit of the Taliban’s Foreign Minister to India — a timing Pakistan described as “a serious provocation.”
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed there would be “no compromise” on Pakistan’s sovereignty, commending the army’s “befitting” response. Sharif lauded the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and warned that “every provocation will be met with a decisive response.”
On the other side, the Taliban-led Afghan Defence Ministry confirmed carrying out “retaliatory and successful operations” in response to alleged Pakistani aggression. It said Afghan forces were fully prepared to defend their territory if further violations occurred.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and about 30 others wounded, with 20 Pakistani security outposts destroyed and military equipment seized. He said nine Afghan soldiers were killed and 16 injured in the fighting, adding that operations ceased at midnight following requests from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Afghan forces reportedly targeted Pakistani positions at Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as Baramcha in Balochistan.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the Taliban attacks as “unprovoked,” alleging that Afghan forces also fired on civilians. “Afghanistan is being answered with stones for bricks,” he said.
The escalation follows a surge in terrorist attacks in Pakistan, particularly by the TTP, which Islamabad accuses of operating from Afghan soil. One such attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai district last week killed 11 soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major.
Security sources said Pakistani forces had destroyed several Taliban military positions inside Afghanistan, including a tank post and the headquarters of Afghan forces’ 2nd Battalion in Barabcha, reportedly used to deploy TTP militants. A strike on Durrani Camp No. 2 — described as a major launch site for cross-border terrorism — allegedly killed over 50 Taliban and foreign fighters.
Multiple Afghan military outposts in Kharlachi and Baramcha sectors, including Doran Mela, Turkmanzai, Afghani Shaheedan, and Jandoser, were also destroyed during the operations, the sources added.
