Islamabad — Pakistan’s military says it repelled a large-scale overnight assault by Afghan Taliban fighters and allied extremist groups on the Pak-Afghan frontier, killing more than 200 fighters, seizing 21 forward positions and destroying multiple training camps in cross-border operations.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said the operations took place on the night of 11–12 October 2025 and were mounted “in exercise of the right of self-defence” after what it described as “an unprovoked attack” aimed at “destabilizing the border areas to facilitate terrorism.”
“Decisive” Response, ISPR Says
In a statement released from Rawalpindi, ISPR said: “On the night of 11/12 Oct 2025, Afghan Taliban and Indian-sponsored Fitna al Khawarij launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan, along the Pak-Afghan border.” The statement added that Pakistan’s forces “repelled the assault decisively all along the border and inflicted heavy casualties on Taliban Forces and affiliated Khwarjis.”
The ISPR named the groups it said were targeted as including Fitna al Khawarij (FAK), Fitna al Hindustan (FAH) and ISKP/Daesh, and said operations combined “precision fires and strikes, as well as physical raids” against camps, posts, training centres and support networks operating from Afghan territory.
Casualties, Captures and Damage
The military put Pakistani losses at 23 soldiers killed and 29 wounded, and said more than 200 Taliban and affiliated militants were “neutralized,” while noting that the number of injured on the militant side was “much higher.” ISPR said Pakistani forces briefly established control over 21 hostile positions on the Afghan side of the border and rendered multiple training camps “inoperative.”
Describing the outcome, the statement said the “infra-structural damages to Taliban posts, camps, Headquarters and support networks are extensive, all along the border and range from tactical to operational depth.”
Pakistan Stresses Diplomacy but Warns of Continued Action
While reaffirming a preference for diplomacy, ISPR warned Kabul that it must act to stop militant activity on its soil. “While the people of Pakistan prefer constructive diplomacy and dialogue over violence and belligerence, we will not tolerate the treacherous use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan,” the statement read.
ISPR also linked the timing of the alleged attacks to the Afghan foreign minister’s visit to India, saying the incident was noted “with concern” and asserting that New Delhi was “the biggest sponsor of terrorism in the region.” The military called on the Taliban government to take “immediate and verifiable actions to neutralize the terrorist groups… otherwise, Pakistan will continue to exercise its right to defend its people by persistent neutralization of terror targets.”
What Pakistan Says it did to Limit Civilian Harm
The ISPR stressed that operations were planned to minimise civilian casualties and damage. “All possible measures were taken to avoid collateral damage and to protect civilian lives,” the statement said, adding that Pakistani forces exercised restraint while delivering “precision fires and strikes.”
The military also framed the operation as defensive: “Exercising the right of self-defence, the alert Armed Forces of Pakistan repelled the assault decisively all along the border and inflicted heavy casualties on Taliban Forces and affiliated Khwarjis.”
Regional Implications and Islamabad’s Demand
The ISPR called for cooperative action to restore border control, urging the Taliban administration to strengthen border security and eliminate militant safe havens from Afghan territory. It warned that continued facilitation of extremist groups, especially if linked with external sponsors, would “not be tolerated” and that Pakistan would persist with operations until the “menace of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan is completely eliminated.”
Why this Matters
The episode sharply reinforces Islamabad’s view that the porous Pak-Afghan frontier has become a persistent security liability: when militant groups use Afghan soil as a launchpad, Pakistan says, it directly endangers civilians, troops and national stability. From the Pakistani perspective, repeated cross-border attacks and the presence of hostile networks are not isolated incidents but a pattern that cannot be tolerated indefinitely.
The state frames its recent action as a measured, defensive response undertaken only after other options were exhausted, diplomacy remains the preferred route, but “diplomacy and dialogue” cannot succeed if Afghan territory is used to plan and execute attacks against Pakistan. That dynamic raises the risk of sustained, higher-intensity violence rather than isolated skirmishes, and, Islamabad warns, failure to neutralise cross-border threats will leave Pakistan little choice but to continue targeted, defensive operations to protect its people and sovereignty.
