RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s military said that its forces have repelled multiple cross-border attacks launched from Afghanistan overnight, accusing the Afghanistan interim regime of sheltering militants who continue to target Pakistan’s border regions.
In a statement, Pakistan military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Afghan Taliban carried out “cowardly attacks” at four locations in the Spin Boldak area of Balochistan in the early hours of 15 October, while additional raids were attempted in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the ISPR, the attacks were “effectively repulsed” with heavy losses inflicted on the aggressors. Around 15–20 Taliban militants were killed in Spin Boldak and up to 30 in Kurram, where Pakistani troops destroyed eight posts and six tanks in what it described as a “proportionate yet decisive” response.
ISPR blames Kabul for sheltering terror networks
The military accused Afghanistan’s rulers of failing to curb cross-border terrorism and turning a blind eye to militant groups operating freely inside Afghan territory.
“These cowardly attacks, orchestrated through divided villages, show complete disregard for civilian populations,” the ISPR said, adding that the destruction of the Pak-Afghan Friendship Gate on the Afghan side “illustrates the mindset” of a regime unwilling to respect cross-border trade or tribal easement rights.
Islamabad said the presence of Fitna al-Khawarij—a group linked to banned anti-Pakistan networks—alongside Taliban units underscores the nexus between extremist outfits operating under Kabul’s protection.
The ISPR noted reports of fresh militant build-ups across staging points inside Afghanistan, warning that “any act of aggression against Pakistan will be met with full force.”
Islamabad demands action from Kabul
Rejecting Kabul’s claims that Pakistan initiated the clashes, the ISPR called such allegations “outrageous and blatant lies,” accusing the Taliban regime of spreading false propaganda to divert attention from its failure to control terrorist elements.
Islamabad urged Afghanistan’s leadership to take immediate and verifiable action against terror sanctuaries and non-state actors targeting Pakistan, warning that continued inaction could “seriously endanger regional peace and stability.”
“The Armed Forces of Pakistan stand resolute and fully prepared to defend every inch of our territory,” the statement read, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to peace but vowing to retaliate against any future provocations.
