Pakistani security forces on Saturday (October 17, 2026) killed several Afghan Taliban personnel in retaliatory action after alleged unprovoked firing along the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to security officials.
The firing was reported in the Taida sector, Upper Kurram and Ghuz Garhi areas, where the Afghan Taliban allegedly opened fire to facilitate the cross-border infiltration of militants, a security official said.
The Pakistan Army retaliated, killing several Afghan Taliban personnel near the Ghuz Garhi border area, the official said.
In the Upper Kurram sector, Pakistani forces targeted the Afghan Taliban's Topsar post and Shipola base camp.
The Shipola base camp was completely destroyed in the retaliatory action, he said.
Several Taliban personnel also allegedly abandoned their border post following the Pakistani forces' response, the official said.
Earlier this month, Pakistan conducted what its Ministry of Information described as well-planned and calibrated aerial strikes on terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, killing multiple militants belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij.
The federal government uses the term 'Fitna al-Khawarij' for terrorists belonging to the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in cross-border militant attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Pakistan recorded its highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years in September 2026.
According to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based independent think tank that monitors militant violence, 225 attacks were recorded across the country in September, compared with 199 in August, an increase of 13%.
The number of attacks rose for the third consecutive month.
Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February 2026, months after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025 following clashes at several border points.
Despite multiple rounds of talks, Islamabad and Kabul have yet to resolve their differences, with the issue of militant groups allegedly operating from Afghan soil remaining a major point of contention between the two sides.
Published - October 18, 2026 02:00 am IST