ISLAMABAD (THE THURSDAY TIMES) — The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has confirmed that Pakistan’s Armed Forces successfully repelled a large-scale, unprovoked attack launched by Afghan Taliban fighters and India-sponsored militants from the group Fitna al Khawarij along the Pak-Afghan border on the night of 11–12 October. The operation, described as “decisive and defensive,” resulted in the destruction of several Taliban posts and the elimination of over two hundred hostile fighters.
According to ISPR, the assault involved heavy fire and limited physical incursions aimed at destabilising Pakistan’s border regions to facilitate terrorist infiltration. “Our forces exercised the right of self-defence and responded with precision strikes and physical raids targeting Taliban camps, terrorist training facilities and logistical networks operating from Afghan territory,” the military’s statement said.
The retaliatory strikes also targeted elements linked to Fitna al Khawarij (FAK), Fitna al Hindustan (FAH) and ISKP/Daesh, all of which Pakistan claims are being harboured within Afghanistan. ISPR added that the Armed Forces took extensive measures to prevent civilian harm while conducting the cross-border response.
The military reported that multiple Taliban strongholds were destroyed, and twenty-one Afghan-side positions were temporarily captured before the Pakistani units withdrew. “These were precise, time-bound operations designed to neutralise immediate threats,” ISPR confirmed, noting that several terrorist training camps used for planning attacks inside Pakistan were rendered inoperative.
In the overnight skirmishes, twenty-three Pakistani soldiers were martyred and twenty-nine sustained injuries. Intelligence assessments indicate that more than two hundred Taliban and affiliated militants were killed, with “significant infrastructural damage” inflicted on command posts, camps and supply networks stretching from tactical zones to operational depth.
ISPR reiterated that the Armed Forces of Pakistan “remain ever ready to protect the nation’s territorial integrity and the lives of its citizens.” The statement added that Pakistan’s commitment to peace and diplomacy “should not be mistaken for weakness” and that any future aggression would meet a firm military response.
The timing of the assault has drawn diplomatic attention, coinciding with the Taliban Foreign Minister’s official visit to India, a nation Pakistan has repeatedly accused of financing and supporting terrorism in the region. “This provocation reinforces our long-standing concern that the Taliban Government is enabling terrorist groups, possibly in coordination with Indian agencies,” the ISPR warned.
The statement urged the Taliban leadership to “take verifiable steps” against FAK, FAH, ISKP/Daesh, and other militant organisations using Afghan soil to target Pakistan. “Failure to act will compel Pakistan to persistently neutralise terror threats through legitimate defensive operations,” it added.
ISPR stated by emphasising that Pakistan’s goal remains regional peace and stability. However, it cautioned that “the people and the state of Pakistan will not rest until the menace of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan is completely eliminated.”
