Pakistan Responds Firmly to Unprovoked Afghan Fire, Refutes Afghan Media Claims

Pakistan’s security forces responded decisively after Afghan Taliban forces initiated unprovoked firing along multiple sectors of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to official statements from Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The cross-border hostilities occurred across several strategic border regions, including Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram, and Bajaur—all critical security zones that have historically witnessed tensions between the neighboring countries. Pakistani forces reportedly engaged defensive protocols and employed mortar fire where necessary to neutralize hostile positions.

“Afghan Taliban miscalculated and opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations across Pakistan-Afghanistan border in KP,” the ministry stated in a social media post, adding that the response from Pakistan was both “immediate and effective.”

Multiple Afghan border posts and equipment sustained damage during the exchange of fire, according to Pakistani security sources. The incident marks a significant escalation in tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, which have maintained a complicated relationship since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021.

Pakistani officials categorically rejected reports circulating in Afghan media claiming that Taliban forces had captured Pakistani border posts. The Ministry of Information labeled such claims as “false and fabricated,” part of what they described as deliberate misinformation. Pakistan also denied suffering any casualties during the confrontation, contradicting reports from the Afghan side.

In a related development, Pakistani authorities confirmed that drones dispatched from Afghanistan violated Pakistani airspace and were subsequently intercepted and destroyed. Officials dismissed Afghan claims characterizing the incident as a Pakistani airstrike, again alleging deliberate misrepresentation of facts.

The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, known as the Durand Line, spans approximately 2,670 kilometers and has been a persistent source of dispute. The Taliban government, like previous Afghan administrations, has never formally recognized this colonial-era border. This fundamental disagreement has contributed to recurring tensions and occasional armed confrontations.

Security analysts note that border management has become increasingly challenging since the Taliban’s return to power. Pakistan has completed fencing along significant portions of the border in recent years, a move that has drawn criticism from Afghanistan but which Pakistan maintains is essential for security purposes and to prevent cross-border militant movement.

Pakistani officials expressed concern about what they characterized as a “flood of fake news” on Afghan social media platforms, allegedly amplified by segments of Afghanistan’s mainstream media. According to the Ministry statement, these sources were spreading “exaggerated and unverified claims” about the border situation, potentially inflaming tensions further.

The Pakistani government reiterated its commitment to protect its territorial integrity and citizens against any form of aggression. This stance reflects Pakistan’s broader security posture regarding its western border, which has remained a key focus of its defense strategy amid regional instability.

The incident occurs against a backdrop of Pakistan’s ongoing concerns about terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory, particularly Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has orchestrated numerous attacks on Pakistani soil. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban to take action against these groups, with varying degrees of compliance from Kabul.

Regional security experts suggest that such border confrontations could potentially undermine already fragile diplomatic relations between the two countries and complicate ongoing efforts to address shared security challenges, including terrorism and drug trafficking across the porous border region.