Islamabad — What began as a suicide assault on a Pakistani military fort in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali has spiralled into one of the most serious episodes of cross-border escalation between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban in months.
On Friday, Pakistani security officials reported that militants belonging to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group (HGB), a faction of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), launched a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on the Kashif Shaheed Fort (KSF) in Khadi, Mir Ali, followed by acoordinated ground raid.
Security forces repelled the assault, killing two to three attackers before they could breach the walls.
The faction Jaish-e-Fursan Muhammad, part of the HGB network, later claimed responsibility. The same outfit had attacked the fort in March 2024 and claimed the lives of Lieutenant Colonel Kashif and 16 soldiers. In response, Pakistan airforce precision strikes in Khost and Paktika. The incident claimed the lives of Lieutenant Colonel Kashif and 16 soldiers .
Retaliation and Reports from Across the Border
Hours after the Mir Ali assault, explosions were reported across Afghanistan’s eastern border districts.
At around 8:50 PM, HTN correspondents confirmed two explosions in the Urgun district of Paktika province. Afghan outlets including Tolo News and Khama Press claimed the blasts occurred in Khana Dar, near Shaheen Wazir and Karavan Taliban camps, alleging that the sites were struck by drones.
Additional explosions were reported in Margha, Barmal district, a known Hafiz Gul Bahadur stronghold. Afghan sources again described them as drone attacks, but provided no verifiable imagery or coordinates.
Clashes were also reported between Pakistani and Afghan border forces, with both sides exchanging small-arms fire across disputed posts, though neither capital officially confirmed engagement.
The Taliban regime quickly framed the events as “attacks on civilians.” Within hours, its media-linked outlets circulated claims that three local cricketers were among the dead, a narrative that spread rapidly on Afghan social media.
The “Cricketers” Narrative and Media Blackout
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) issued a statement claiming that three players, Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon, were killed in Urgun, calling the incident a “cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.”
The Board announced Afghanistan’s withdrawal from the Tri-Nation T20 Series with Pakistan in protest.
However, Pakistani analysts and security sources dismissed the claims as “a convenient smokescreen to disguise the deaths of TTP commanders.”
“This is a pattern, the same playbook once used against the United States strikes. Terror operatives are rebranded as athletes to stir outrage,” an HTN security analyst noted.
Meanwhile, HTN’s Kabul correspondent confirmed through multiple sources that the Taliban regime ordered Shamshad TV, Shamshad Radio, and affiliated social-media channels to go off-air, deepening speculation of a state-imposed information blackout.
Pakistan’s Initial Silence and Foreign Media Spin
For nearly half a day, Islamabad refrained from commenting, as Afghan media pushed civilian-casualty narratives and referred to Pakistan as a “military regime.”
Outlets such as Ariana News and Khama Press alleged that “the Pakistani military regime carried out airstrikes targeting civilians in Paktika”, a phrase Pakistani officials later condemned as “propaganda jargon.”
Official Acknowledgment and Government Response
The silence broke on Saturday afternoon when Minister of Information Ataullah Tarar confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that Pakistan had struck verified camps of the “Kharji Gul Bahadur” group along the Pak-Afghan border.
“During the 48-hour ceasefire, Kharjis operating from Afghanistan attempted multiple terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, which were effectively countered. In these precision strikes, 60–70 Kharjis and their leadership were sent to hell based on confirmed intelligence,” Tarar wrote.
He added that “all assertions about civilian targeting are false and meant to generate sympathy for terrorists operating from Afghan soil.”
Tarar reaffirmed that Pakistan “reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and people and will not allow cross-border terrorism to go unanswered.”
Hours earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had posted that Pakistan was “fully prepared for a two-front war”, adding that defensive and offensive strategies were in place.
On Saturday noon, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced that a high-level delegation led by Defence Minister Asif was holding talks in Doha with Afghan Taliban representatives under Qatari mediation.
“Pakistan does not seek escalation but urges the Afghan Taliban authorities to honour their commitments to the international community and take verifiable action against terrorist entities, including the TTP and BLA,” the Foreign Office stated.
The Ministry added that “Pakistan appreciates the mediation efforts of Qatar and hopes these discussions contribute to peace and stability in the region.”
Escalating Tensions and the Ceasefire Question
The strikes coincided with an ongoing 48-hour ceasefire, initially brokered at Kabul’s request following days of fighting near Spin Boldak and Chaman.
Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of violating the truce, while Islamabad argued the ceasefire that was initiated at 1300 GMT on Wednesday at Kabul’s request to “create space for dialogue,” was already broken by the Mir Ali attack launched from Afghan soil.
Earlier, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in an interview with Ariana TV, said fighters were ordered not to attack unless provoked, but had “every right to defend” if Pakistan struck first.
Before the truce expired on Friday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters that Pakistan would “wait for 48 hours to assess whether the ceasefire holds,” without elaborating further.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ceasefire was initiated at the Taliban’s request and implemented with mutual consent from both sides. The ministry said that Islamabad and Kabul had agreed to engage in “constructive dialogue” and make sincere efforts to find a “positive solution to a complex but solvable issue.”
However, officials also cautioned that if Afghanistan violated the 48-hour ceasefire, effective from 6 p.m. Wednesday, Pakistan would be left with no choice but to respond accordingly.
Regional and International Reaction
While the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported civilian casualties on the Afghan side during last week’s border clashes, Pakistani officials insist that “propaganda cannot rewrite operational reality.” Officials accused “Indian-backed Afghan networks” and RAW-affiliated media outlets of “recycling old visuals to fabricate civilian casualty claims.”
Islamabad had also placed the onus of a permanent ceasefire on the Afghan Taliban.The “ball is in Kabul’s court”, for a permanent ceasefire said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday.
“If they are serious, if they are sincere, they should come forward,” the premier said while addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet. “But if this truce is only to buy time, then Pakistan won’t accept it,” as per Dawn.
From Tactical Strikes to Strategic Signalling
Analysts see the latest episode as both a tactical counter-strike and a strategic signal.
The strikes, they argue, reflect Pakistan’s readiness to act unilaterally if Kabul continues to shelter anti-Pakistan militants; a shift from defensive posturing to deterrent assertion.
They also align with Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, Pakistan’s long-term campaign to dismantle foreign-sponsored militancy and reinforce counter-extremism coordination across institutions.
The Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a long-time TTP ally, has been accused of orchestrating the VBIED attack in North Waziristan, as well as several previous ambushes on Pakistani security convoys. Intelligence reports indicate that the group maintains operational bases in southeastern Afghanistan with tacit support from elements within the Taliban regime.
“Afghan soil continues to be used as a launchpad for organized attacks against Pakistan,” a senior defence source told HTN, adding that Islamabad’s response was “consistent with its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nation Charter.”
In repeated briefings and statements, Pakistani officials framed the strikes as lawful acts of self-defence, and as a necessary response to sanctuaries across the border that Islamabad says the Taliban regime has failed to dismantle.
While the Taliban regime continues to accuse Islamabad of violating the truce, Islamabad maintains that its actions were targeted, proportionate, and based on verified intelligence.
“Pakistan seeks peace but will not tolerate cross-border terrorism,” a senior security official reiterated.
Despite escalating rhetoric, both sides remain engaged in Doha, signalling a shared recognition that diplomacy is the only viable off-ramp to prevent another full-scale frontier confrontation.
Delegations from Islamabad and Kabul are meeting in Doha under Qatari facilitation, an attempt to stabilise the frontier through diplomacy, even as each capital maintains a firm public posture.
