Khyber, Pakistan – Web Desk: Pakistan’s security forces responded to what officials described as unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Torkham and Tirah sectors, escalating tensions between the two neighbours.
According to security sources, clashes erupted at three separate points along the frontier and continued for nearly an hour. All Pakistan Army personnel remained safe during the exchange, officials said.
In a statement posted on X, Musharraf Zaidi, spokesman for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on foreign media, said Pakistan’s security forces had responded “immediately and effectively,” adding that any further provocation would be met with a prompt and strong response.
“Pakistan will continue to protect its citizens and safeguard its territorial integrity,” the statement said.
Border Checkpost Destroyed
Security officials said that during the retaliatory action, an Afghan forces’ checkpost was targeted and destroyed. There was no immediate confirmation from Afghan authorities regarding casualties or damage.
The latest confrontation follows a sharp escalation in October 2025, when intense cross-border clashes erupted after what Pakistan described as attacks on its frontier posts by Taliban fighters and allied militants. Pakistani officials had said at the time that more than 200 Taliban and affiliated fighters were killed, while 23 Pakistani soldiers lost their lives.
Rising Cross-Border Tensions
Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban authorities to take action against militant groups allegedly operating from Afghan soil. Pakistani officials maintain that cross-border militancy has intensified since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.
Recent militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have heightened security concerns. On February 17, an attack in Bajaur district killed 11 security personnel, with officials stating that 12 militants were killed in a subsequent operation.
Pakistan has previously carried out what it described as “precision strikes” inside Afghanistan, targeting suspected militant hideouts in Kandahar province and Kabul. Diplomatic contacts between the two sides have continued, but efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire have so far failed.
The Pakistan-Afghanistan border, particularly the Torkham crossing and Tirah valley region, remains a sensitive and volatile frontier amid ongoing regional security challenges.
