Islamabad – Heavy clashes erupted along the Pak–Afghan border on Saturday evening after Afghan forces opened unprovoked fire from multiple locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, prompting a swift and forceful response from the Pakistan Army. Security officials confirmed that Pakistan destroyed several Afghan border posts and killed multiple Afghan soldiers and TTP militants in retaliatory strikes.
According to officials, the coordinated assault originated from Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral, and Baramcha sectors, areas spread across nearly two-thirds of the frontier. The firing, they said, was intended to facilitate the infiltration of Khawarij, the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), into Pakistani territory.
“Pakistan Army posts responded immediately and decisively,” said a senior security official. “The counteroffensive effectively targeted and destroyed multiple Afghan border positions. Dozens of Afghan soldiers and Khawarij were killed in the action.”
So far, three Pakistani security personnel have lost their lives, while five others were injured but remain in stable condition.
What Kabul Says
The Afghan Ministry of Defense had earlier issued a statement claiming “retaliatory operations” against Pakistani forces along the Durand Line, citing alleged airspace violations, allegations that Islamabad has categorically denied.
Observers say the timing of these clashes, coinciding with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to India from October 9 to 16, adds a diplomatic layer to the conflict. As Muttaqi preached “brotherhood” and dialogue in New Delhi, Afghan territory reportedly continued to host TTP militants launching attacks across the border, an irony “written in shrapnel,” as one analyst described.
“While Kabul’s leadership speaks of diplomacy abroad, it permits armed aggression at home,” said a regional observer. “This contradiction undermines the credibility of the Taliban’s government and its claims of sovereignty.”
Delhi–Kabul Coordination?
Islamabad has noted with concern that diplomatic activity in New Delhi coincided with kinetic operations along the frontier, a timing officials interpret as political cover for hostile actors. The simultaneous Afghan engagements from multiple provinces indicate central coordination, possibly influenced by regional players seeking instability.
India’s concurrent outreach to the Taliban has also raised eyebrows in Islamabad. Analysts view New Delhi’s approach as “soft-power infiltration masked as religious engagement,” referencing Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s past remark about “controlling them through Deoband.”
“For Delhi, Afghanistan is leverage,” said one analyst. “For Kabul, it’s déjà vu, another foreign power using Afghan soil to settle regional scores.”
Digital Disinformation and Hybrid Warfare
As border hostilities intensified, pro-Taliban digital accounts launched a disinformation campaign, recycling old combat footage to claim exaggerated Pakistani losses. One video of a 2022 Indian Air Force MiG-21 crash was shared as “PAF jet downed in Bajaur,” a claim swiftly debunked by independent monitors.
Afghan journalist Sami Yousafzai also highlighted the online mockery, noting how Afghan users on X boasted of “capturing half of Pakistan” while the real clashes remained localized and contained.
“Apparently, a few hundred Taliban are clashing with Pakistan’s border forces,” he wrote. “While the rest are bravely fighting Pakistan on social media.”
Officials in Islamabad described the digital activity as a coordinated propaganda campaign involving AGeneral Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) linked Afghan and Indian accounts, aimed at shaping narratives against Pakistan amid active military operations.
Measured Response, Clear Objective
Pakistan’s military action, officials emphasize, remains targeted, intelligence-driven, and defensive, focused solely on neutralizing cross-border threats rather than widening conflict.
“The Afghan state’s continued complicity with TTP elements erodes bilateral trust and isolates Kabul further within regional security frameworks,” said a security analyst. “By prioritizing subversive alliances over citizen welfare, the Taliban risk alienating the very population that relies on Pakistan for education, healthcare, and trade.”
The clashes highlight a familiar but dangerous cycle. Rhetoric of peace offset by realities of proxy conflict. Pakistan’s strikes were calibrated, not expansionist; Kabul’s choices will now determine whether restraint breeds resolution or relapse. In South Asia’s fragile security equation, stability will hinge less on firepower and more on political will along both sides of the Pak Afghan border.
