Pakistan Army Says Seven Afghan Taliban Border Posts Destroyed In Retaliatory Strikes

Pakistan's military has destroyed seven Afghan Taliban border posts and targeted several military installations in retaliatory strikes following cross-border firing in the Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan, escalating tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

According to Pakistani state media, Afghan Taliban forces opened fire on October 27, targeting Pakistani border posts and civilian areas. The shelling killed one civilian, injured five others and damaged shops in the Angoor Adda bazaar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan's forces responded using heavy weapons, including artillery, targeting Afghan border posts, mortar positions and defensive bunkers near South Waziristan and Parachinar. Pakistani officials claimed several Afghan Taliban personnel were killed and others abandoned their positions.

Pakistan's Information Ministry subsequently rejected Kabul's account of the confrontation, describing its allegations as fabricated. It maintained that Afghan forces initiated the firing and said Pakistan's response destroyed seven posts and inflicted casualties. However, these military claims could not be independently verified.

Afghanistan's Defence Ministry, meanwhile, accused Pakistan of carrying out four drone strikes targeting the Angoor Adda market and a commissioner's office in Paktika province on October 27. It claimed Afghan forces retaliated by attacking Pakistani military headquarters and nearby positions, killing and injuring several Pakistani soldiers. Kabul also alleged that its military installations suffered extensive damage. These claims have not been independently verified.

The latest confrontation comes amid repeated clashes and Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan in recent months. Pakistan carried out further strikes on September 21 and October 1, claiming to have targeted militant hideouts. Islamabad has also accused Afghan forces of launching drones into Pakistani airspace and conducting firing along other sections of the border.

At the centre of the dispute is Pakistan's allegation that the Afghan Taliban government provides shelter to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants who use Afghan territory to plan attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The tensions have also disrupted cross-border trade. The Angoor Adda crossing has remained closed since October 2025, contributing to a reported 95 per cent decline in bilateral trade and movement through Pakistan-Afghanistan crossings over the past year. Diplomatic efforts involving China, Turkey and Qatar have so far failed to resolve the dispute, while Islamabad continues to demand verifiable action against militant groups operating from Afghan territory.