Pakistani security forces captured 19 Afghan border posts and destroyed Taliban camps in a major retaliation for unprovoked cross-border attacks. The operation, targeting locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, killed dozens of Afghan soldiers and militants, per security sources cited by PTV News and Radio Pakistan. Fires erupted at some posts, with Afghan forces fleeing after heavy losses.
The clashes, erupting late Saturday, followed Pakistan’s October 9 airstrikes in Kabul, which reportedly killed TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud and successors Qari Saifullah and Khalid Mehsud. Afghanistan’s Taliban accused Pakistan of violating sovereignty, launching reprisals in Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika, Khost, and Helmand. Pakistani officials described the firing as an attempt to aid “Khawarij” (TTP) infiltration, responding with artillery, tanks, and drones.
پاک افغان بارڈر پر افغانستان کی جانب سے بِلا اشتعال جارحیت/ اپڈیٹ
رات گئے سے پاکستانی فورسز بھاری ہتھیاروں کے ساتھ بھرپور مہارت سے افغان پوسٹوں کو کامیابی سے نشانہ بنا رہی ہیں، سیکورٹی ذرائع
اب تک پاکستان نے افغانستان کی بارڈر پر موجود 19 افغان پوسٹوں، جہاں سے پاکستان پر حملے… pic.twitter.com/mp5EsFsSJp
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) October 12, 2025Key Actions and Casualties
Pakistani forces destroyed the Taliban’s Manojba camp, Jandusar Post, Turkmenzai camp, and Kharchar Fort. “Afghan Taliban at the posts were killed, others fled,” sources said. In Baramcha (Chagai), bordering Helmand, heavy exchanges lasted two hours, with Pakistani artillery targeting Afghan positions. Infiltration attempts in Pishin and Zhob were repelled.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence reported that retaliatory operations ended at midnight and warned of firm responses to further violations. At least 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed in clashes, per TOLOnews, with intense fighting in Bahramcha’s Shakij, Bibi Jani, Salehan, and Paktia’s Aryub Zazi.
Official Reactions and Diplomatic Fallout
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the provocation, vowing “no compromise on defence.” President Asif Ali Zardari cited UN reports proving Afghan soil-based attacks, urging Kabul to act against TTP. “Terrorism sponsored by India threatens regional peace,” he said, calling for joint counterterrorism.
Read: TTP Leader Noor Wali Mehsud Killed in Kabul Drone Strike
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the forces, affirming unity against “Fitna al-Khawarij.” ISPR DG Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry emphasised the National Action Plan’s continuity, blaming a “political-criminal nexus” for militancy.
Iran’s Abbas Araghchi called for restraint, Saudi Arabia urged dialogue, and Qatar prioritised diplomacy to avert escalation.
The clashes, the most intense since 2025, risk full-scale conflict amid TTP’s surge, with 901 fatalities in Q3 2025. Pakistan accuses Kabul of harbouring TTP; Afghanistan denies it. The Torkham crossing closure disrupts trade.
