20 terrorists affiliated with Fitna al-Khawarij, Afghan Taliban fighters killed: ISPR
In a major escalation along the Pak-Afghan border, Afghan Taliban fighters, in coordination with terrorists linked to Fitna al-Khawarij, launched attacks at three different points near the Chaman border early on Wednesday morning.
The Pakistan Army responded swiftly, killing at least 20 terrorists and forcing the rest to retreat, said security sources.
According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the attack occured at four different locations in Spin Boldak area of Balochistan.
During the attack, terrorists blew up the Pak-Afghan Friendship Gate, a key crossing point that facilitates trade and civilian movement between the two countries. Officials said the destruction of the gate demonstrates the Afghan Taliban’s opposition to legitimate cross-border commerce and regional stability.
The coordinated assault targeted both border security infrastructure and Pakistani military positions. The counteroffensive by Pakistani forces repelled the attackers, inflicting significant losses on the terrorist’s 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 engagement, said security officials.
Fitna al-Khawarij is the term the state uses to refer to proscribed militant outfit 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 the night before, Pakistan Army units thwarted another infiltration attempt in the Kurram sector, where Taliban and Khawarij fighters reportedly attempted to breach Pakistani defenses.
In the ensuing operation, Pakistani forces destroyed eight Taliban posts and six armored tanks, killing multiple insurgents. Eight posts, including six tanks, were destroyed in the effective yet proportionate response of Pakistani troops. Several caches of US-made weapons were also seized from the site.
The area in and around Kurram has since remained calm, with no fresh hostilities reported after Pakistan’s retaliatory strike.
Tense conditions remain in the border town of Chaman, where Afghan forces opened unprovoked fire on civilian areas, injuring at least 10 people, including two children. The injured were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital, where they are receiving medical treatment.
According to security sources, two Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were martyred as a result of Afghan Taliban firing, while several others remain under treatment at Chaman Hospital. In light of the situation, all educational institutions in Chaman have been closed for the day, and the ongoing polio vaccination campaign has been suspended.
In retaliation, Pakistani forces targeted 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 that heavy cross-border firing is still ongoing, creating an atmosphere of fear and panic among residents of the border areas. Locals have been instructed to stay indoors.
Dilbar Khan, a local journalist from Chaman, reported that the situation remains tense in the area, which has been seized. Two Pakistanis have been martyred and many others injured. The border has been closed for the past three days, bringing all trade and business activities to a standstill.
He added that thousands of Afghan nationals, who were to be repatriated, are now stranded due to the border closure. However, they have been temporarily accommodated at a designated site called Master Plan, where they are being facilitated.
Read More: Pakistan asks Taliban to rein in terror networks
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expresses concern over these provocations by Afghan Taliban, “Fitna-e-Hindustan” and “Fitna al-Khawarij” along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The prime minister praised the security forces for successfully thwarting an attack by the Afghan Taliban in the Kurram sector.
The Pakistan Army gave a strong and fitting response to the unprovoked aggression by the Afghan Taliban, said Shehbaz. The sovereignty and integrity of the country will be defended at all costs, he added.
Shehbaz further said that the use of Afghan soil for carrying 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.
