A Pakistani check post at Pak-Afghan border. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
Tensions flared once again along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border after Afghan Taliban forces allegedly opened unprovoked fire in the Torkham and Tirah sectors of Khyber district on Tuesday morning, prompting a swift and calibrated response from Pakistan’s security forces.
Prime Minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, stated that the firing originated from the Afghan side and was effectively neutralised.
Mosharraf Zaidi was speaking on Tuesday in his official capacity as the Prime Minister’s spokesperson for foreign media regarding the latest border flare-up in the Torkham and Tirah sectors of Khyber district.
In a statement shared on the social media platform X, he maintained that Pakistan’s security forces had reacted promptly and decisively, effectively neutralising what he termed Taliban aggression. He cautioned that any further escalation from across the border would draw a swift and forceful response. Emphasising Islamabad’s firm stance, he asserted that Pakistan would remain steadfast in defending its citizens and upholding its territorial sovereignty against all external threats.
According to security sources, clashes erupted at three separate points along the frontier and continued for nearly an hour. All Pakistani personnel remained safe, while a Taliban check post was reportedly destroyed in retaliatory action.
The exchange comes amid heightened tensions following a string of deadly terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. Earlier this month, a vehicle-borne suicide bombing targeted the Malangi check post in Bajaur near the Afghan border, martyring 11 soldiers and claiming the life of a young girl. The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), referred to by the state as Fitna al Khwarij, claimed responsibility.
In response to escalating violence, Pakistan conducted intelligence-based, precision strikes on seven militant hideouts along the border belt. Officials maintain that these camps were linked to TTP elements and Islamic State-Khorasan operatives allegedly operating from Afghan soil.
Inter-Services Public Relations, reiterated that Pakistan would continue operations against terrorists “irrespective of location”, stressing that the sanctity of Ramazan would not shield perpetrators of cross-border attacks.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to dismantle militant sanctuaries, warning that any further aggression would invite an immediate and severe response. As relations remain strained, Pakistan has made it clear that safeguarding territorial integrity and civilian lives remains non-negotiable.
