ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces have foiled an attempted attack by Afghan Taliban fighters in the Gulistan sector along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, killing several Taliban personnel in a retaliatory operation, security sources said on Thursday.
According to the sources, Pakistani forces responded promptly to the attempted aggression and inflicted casualties on the Afghan Taliban fighters.
Intermittent firing between Pakistani security forces and Afghan Taliban personnel was continuing in the area, the sources said, adding that Pakistan’s forces remained fully alert and vigilant along the border.
The latest incident came hours after Pakistan announced precision aerial and drone strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan in response to attempted drone attacks launched from Afghan territory.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan’s air defence systems had detected, tracked and neutralised eight drones that entered Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan before they could reach their intended targets.
Security sources said four of the drones were shot down in areas adjacent to the Torkham border, while four others were intercepted in mountainous areas near Kohat.
Tarar said Pakistan subsequently carried out precision strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan allegedly used for launching and storing the drones. He described the strikes as “deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate” and said they were limited to identified military objectives linked to the attempted attacks.
The information minister said Pakistan did not seek escalation and remained committed to regional peace, dialogue and constructive engagement.
He, however, warned that Pakistan’s commitment to peace should not be mistaken for weakness or unlimited tolerance of hostile actions.
“Pakistan will defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the lives of its citizens with full resolve and will take all necessary measures to protect them,” Tarar said, adding that any further provocative action by the Afghan Taliban would be met with a firm response.
The latest exchange comes amid a sharp deterioration in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, with Islamabad repeatedly accusing the Afghan Taliban authorities of allowing militant groups to operate from Afghan soil and carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has rejected the allegations.
Cross-border tensions have intensified following a series of militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and retaliatory Pakistani strikes against alleged militant targets inside Afghanistan. Recent Pakistani strikes have also drawn condemnation from Afghan authorities, who have described them as violations of Afghanistan’s sovereignty.
The situation along the border remains tense as intermittent firing continues in the Gulistan sector and both sides maintain heightened security and vigilance.