Fierce overnight clashes erupt between Pakistan forces and Afghan Taliban along border in Kurram

Islamabad : Intense fighting broke out once again late Tuesday night between Pakistani security forces and the Afghan Taliban along the volatile border in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, state media reported.
According to the state broadcaster PTV News, the clashes erupted after “the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij opened unprovoked fire in Kurram.” The term Fitna al-Khawarij is used by Pakistani authorities to refer to militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a proscribed outfit accused of cross-border terrorism.
“The Pakistan Army responded with full force and intensity,” the report said, adding that Afghan Taliban posts sustained heavy damage, including the destruction of at least one tank. Following retaliatory strikes, Taliban fighters reportedly abandoned several frontline positions.
Subsequent updates from PTV News said that additional Taliban fortifications were hit, with “another post and tank position destroyed in the Kurram sector,” followed by reports of a fourth tank being targeted at the Shamsadar post.
Pakistan briefs foreign diplomats amid escalating tensions
Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch briefed resident ambassadors in Islamabad on the deteriorating security situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said Baloch provided a “comprehensive briefing” on recent developments, underscoring Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and reaffirming its resolve to protect territorial integrity and national security.
The renewed hostilities came after a weekend of fierce fighting in which, according to Pakistan’s military media wing (ISPR), Afghan Taliban forces launched an unprovoked assault on Pakistani border posts, killing 23 soldiers. In its counteroffensive, the Pakistani Army reportedly killed over 200 Taliban and allied militants.
Kabul claims retaliatory action
The Taliban government in Kabul, however, described its offensive as a retaliatory response, claiming that Islamabad had carried out air strikes inside Afghan territory the previous week.
While Pakistan has not confirmed conducting any such air operations, it reiterated its demand that the Taliban administration stop providing safe havens to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“Afghanistan must ensure that its soil is not used for cross-border attacks,” Islamabad stressed.
Kabul, for its part, denied the allegations, maintaining that Afghan territory is not being used against any neighboring state.
Trade halted, forces on high alert
Following the fresh escalation, trade routes along the Kurram border have been suspended, and Pakistani forces remain on high alert across key frontier zones.
Meanwhile, China has called on both countries to exercise restraint and address mutual security concerns through dialogue, urging diplomatic engagement to prevent further deterioration of regional stability.
The continuing clashes highlight a rapidly deteriorating relationship between Islamabad and Kabul, raising fears that renewed conflict could jeopardize border security and regional trade in South Asia.