ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces successfully thwarted an attack by the Afghan Taliban near the Balochistan border early Wednesday morning, killing between 15 and 20 militants, the military’s media wing — Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) — confirmed.

According to the ISPR statement, armed fighters from the Afghan Taliban launched coordinated assaults on four separate locations in the Spin Boldak area adjacent to the Pakistan border. The statement described the attack as “cowardly,” adding that Pakistani troops responded effectively, forcing the attackers to retreat after suffering significant losses.

> “As Pakistani soldiers repelled the assault, 15–20 Afghan Taliban were killed and several others wounded,” the ISPR said.

“The situation remains fluid with indications of additional militant buildup on the Afghan side, involving members of Fitna-al-Khwarij (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) and Taliban fighters.”

Afghan Forces Destroy Friendship Gate

The statement revealed that the attackers damaged the Pak-Afghan Friendship Gate on their side of the border, calling it a clear reflection of their disregard for mutual trade and tribal movement rights.

ISPR added that the militants had used divided border villages to stage the assault, showing “no concern for civilian lives.”

Clashes Also Reported in Kurram Sector

The military further disclosed that a separate group of Taliban fighters and TTP militants attempted to target Pakistani border posts in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the night of October 14–15.

Pakistani forces, according to ISPR, destroyed eight enemy posts, including six tanks, killing an estimated 25–30 fighters in what was described as a “proportionate yet powerful response.”

ISPR rejected Afghan claims that Pakistan initiated the violence, terming such allegations “baseless propaganda” by Kabul’s regime.

> “Assertions that Pakistan started the attack or lost posts are completely false,” the statement clarified. “Pakistan’s armed forces remain resolute in defending the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Afghan Taliban Claim Civilian Casualties

Earlier, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid alleged that Pakistani forces attacked the Spin Boldak district inside Kandahar province, claiming that Afghan troops were “forced to retaliate.”

He also accused Pakistan of killing over 12 civilians and injuring more than 100, though no independent verification of these claims was available. Mujahid further asserted that Afghan fighters had captured several Pakistani posts and weapons — a statement that Islamabad has strongly denied.

President and Prime Minister Praise Armed Forces

Following the cross-border incident, President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack, calling it a “blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.”

In a statement posted by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on X (formerly Twitter), the president commended the Pakistan Army’s courage and professionalism in defending the border.

Zardari accused the Taliban administration of violating the 2020 Doha Agreement, under which Afghanistan was obligated to prevent militant groups from operating on its soil.

> “The Afghan Taliban are offering safe havens to terrorist elements,” he said, warning that such actions destabilize the entire region.

He reiterated Pakistan’s desire for peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighboring countries but stressed that “any aggression will be met with a decisive response.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also voiced support for the military, condemning the “incitement” by the Afghan Taliban, Fitna-al-Khwarij, and Fitna-al-Hindustan at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

> “The Pakistan Army delivered a strong and proportionate reply to unprovoked aggression,” the PM said, emphasizing that national integrity will be protected at all costs.

Rising Border Tensions

The latest border clash marks the third major confrontation between Pakistan and Afghanistan within a single week — following earlier incidents in Kurram and Chaman.

In recent attacks, 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred and 29 injured, according to ISPR, while over 200 Taliban and allied militants were reportedly neutralized in counterstrikes.

The Afghan government insists the attacks were retaliatory, accusing Pakistan of conducting air strikes inside Afghan territory — a claim Islamabad neither confirmed nor denied, maintaining that Pakistan reserves the right to defend itself from cross-border terrorism.

These escalating clashes have worsened already fragile Pak-Afghan relations, with Islamabad repeatedly urging Kabul to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan soil for attacks inside Pakistan.

Kabul, however, has consistently rejected these accusations.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently stated that ties between the two nations are at a “complete stalemate,” adding,

> “There are no active hostilities, but the environment is clearly hostile. Relations, both direct and indirect, are currently nonexistent.”

Conclusion

The recent border violence underscores the fragile security situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier, as both sides exchange blame over cross-border incursions.

Pakistan’s military has vowed to protect its sovereignty and respond decisively to any future acts of aggression, while urging the Afghan government to curb the activities of militant networks operating along shared borders.