20 terrorists affiliated with Fitna al-Khawarij and Afghan Taliban fighters die: ISPR
In a major escalation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Afghan Taliban fighters, in coordination with terrorists linked to Fitna al-Khawarij, launched attacks at three different points near the Chaman border early Wednesday morning.
The Pakistani army responded quickly, killing at least 20 terrorists and forcing the rest to retreat, security sources said.
According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the attack occurred at four different locations in Spin Boldak area of Balochistan.
During the attack, terrorists blew up the Friendship Gate between Pakistan and Afghanistan, a key crossing point that facilitates trade and civil movement between the two countries. Officials said the destruction of the gate demonstrates the Afghan Taliban’s opposition to legitimate cross-border trade and regional stability.
The coordinated attack targeted both border security infrastructure and Pakistani military positions. The counteroffensive by Pakistani forces repelled the attackers, causing heavy losses to the terrorist side. The terrorists used nearby villages as hideouts and civilians as human shields. A tactic increasingly employed by both the Afghan Taliban and Khawarij elements to avoid direct confrontation, security officials said.
Fitna al-Khawarij is the term used by the state to refer to the banned militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) since the war with India in May 2025.
Read: Pakistan breaks ranks with Taliban regime after cross-border clashes
In a related development last night, Pakistani army units thwarted another infiltration attempt in the Kurram sector, where Taliban and Khawarij fighters reportedly attempted to breach Pakistani defences.
In the subsequent operation, Pakistani forces destroyed eight Taliban posts and six armored tanks, killing several insurgents. Eight posts, including six tanks, were destroyed in the effective but proportionate response by Pakistani troops. Several caches of American-made weapons were also seized at the scene.
Since then, the Kurram area and its surroundings have remained calm, with no fresh hostilities reported after Pakistan’s retaliatory attack.
Tense conditions remain in the border town of Chaman, where Afghan forces opened unprovoked fire on civilian areas, wounding at least 10 people, including two children. The injured were immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where they are receiving medical attention.
According to security sources, two members of the Frontier Corps (FC) were martyred as a result of firing by the Afghan Taliban, while several others remain under treatment at Chaman Hospital. In light of the situation, all educational institutions in Chaman were closed for the day and the ongoing polio vaccination drive was suspended.
In retaliation, Pakistani forces attacked suspected Afghan Taliban positions located in Wesh Mandi and Spin Boldak, across the border. Reports indicate that two people were killed and ten injured in the counterattack.
Security sources say intense cross-border firing is still continuing, creating an atmosphere of fear and panic among residents of the border areas. Locals have been ordered to stay in their homes.
Dilbar Khan, a local Chaman journalist, reported that the situation remains tense in the area, which has been occupied. Two Pakistanis have been martyred and many others have been injured. The border has been closed for the past three days, bringing all commercial and business activities to a standstill.
He added that thousands of Afghan citizens who were due to be repatriated are now stranded due to border closures. However, they have been temporarily housed at a designated site called Master Plan, where they are being facilitated.
Read more: Pakistan asks Taliban to control terrorist networks
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expresses concern over these provocations by the Afghan Taliban, “Fitna-e-Hindustan” and “Fitna al-Khawarij” along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The prime minister praised the security forces for successfully foiling an attack by the Afghan Taliban in the Kurram sector.
The Pakistan Army gave a firm and appropriate response to the unprovoked aggression of the Afghan Taliban, Shehbaz said. The sovereignty and integrity of the country will be defended at all costs, he added.
Shehbaz further said that use of Afghan soil to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan is highly condemnable.
Intelligence reports suggest that more terrorists are regrouping in the Spin Boldak region of Afghanistan, raising concerns of further cross-border aggression.
