- Naib Subedar Aman embraces martyrdom in intense border firefight.
- ISPR says sanitisation operation targets remaining khwarij.
- Afghan Taliban regime facilitating cross-border terrorism: ISPR
A soldier was martyred while 12 Fitna al-Khawarij and Afghan Taliban personnel were killed during an attempted infiltration from Afghanistan into Kurram district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday.
The movement of a group of khwarij attempting to approach the international border from Afghanistan was detected on October 10, following which security forces effectively engaged them, the military’s media wing said in a statement issued on October 11.
Despite maintaining a high state of alertness and vigilance, security forces faced firing from Afghan Taliban posts, which opened fire to support the infiltration attempt, the ISPR said.
It added that skilful and precise engagement by vigilant troops resulted in the killing of 12 khwarij and Afghan Taliban personnel.
However, Naib Subedar Hidayat Aman, 40, a resident of Ghizer district, embraced martyrdom during the intense exchange of fire.
The ISPR said the incident along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border once again vindicated Pakistan’s stance regarding the Afghan Taliban regime’s failure to prevent terrorist organisations from using Afghan soil, alleging that the regime instead facilitated and patronised cross-border terrorism.
The military’s media wing added that the Afghan Taliban regime had consistently failed to fulfil its international counter-terrorism obligations.
A sanitisation operation is under way in the area to eliminate any remaining Indian-sponsored khwarij, the statement said.
Reaffirming its commitment to defending the country’s frontiers, the ISPR said security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue their counter-terrorism campaign under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” vision, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, to eliminate foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
The statement said the sacrifices of security personnel further reinforced Pakistan’s commitment to safeguarding the nation and its frontiers at all costs.
The development comes two days after forces killed seven Fitna al-Khwarij terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district.
The IBO was carried out against India-backed militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision, with several hideouts also destroyed, the ISPR said.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in cross-border terrorist incidents, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Pakistan recorded its highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years during September 2026.
According to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based independent think tank monitoring anti-state violence in the region, 225 militant attacks were recorded across the country in September, compared with 199 in August — an increase of 13%. Militant attacks increased for the third consecutive month.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by militant organisations to carry out attacks inside Pakistan.
Pakistan maintains that the Afghan Taliban authorities have failed to take effective action against groups responsible for attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.
Despite multiple rounds of talks, Islamabad and Kabul have yet to resolve their differences, with the issue of militant groups operating from Afghan soil remaining a major point of contention between the two sides.
