Kurram Infiltration Bid Foiled as Afghan Posts Open Fire
Pakistani security forces on Thursday foiled a Kurram infiltration attempt in the Shaluzan sector of Kurram district and hit back after Afghan Taliban forces opened fire across the border, security sources said.
The sources said a group of militants from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, which the state calls Fitna al-Khawarij, tried to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan. Troops moved to stop them, and Afghan Taliban forces then opened fire without provocation, Tribune reported.
Pakistani troops replied at once with heavy weapons. The sources said the retaliation stopped the infiltration and caused heavy damage to Afghan Taliban posts. A third militant escaped in an injured condition, and a search operation is under way in the area, with Counter-Terrorism Department commandos and a police contingent deployed.
Police recovered weapons, a flag of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, veils and other items from the militants’ vehicle. The bodies of the two slain militants were taken into custody, and work to identify them has begun. Officials said an investigation is under way into the group’s likely target, and it is suspected they were on their way to carry out a major act of sabotage.
No statement from the military’s media wing, ISPR, had appeared by the time the reports were published. The account rests on security sources cited by state media and other outlets, which also reported the clash independently.
Kurram infiltration follows a month of border incidents
The clash is the latest in a series of incidents along the frontier in recent weeks. On November 1, security forces responded to firing from Afghan border posts near Angoor Adda in South Waziristan, forcing Afghan Taliban personnel to abandon their positions. Two days earlier, on October 30, the army targeted and destroyed several Afghan Taliban posts near South Waziristan and Parachinar.
On October 27, Afghan Taliban forces opened fire on Pakistani border posts and civilian areas in Angoor Adda, Lower South Waziristan. Mortar shelling struck a residential area, killing one civilian and injuring five members of the same family. Pakistani troops destroyed Afghan Taliban checkpoints in reply.
Kurram itself saw a similar incident less than a month ago. On October 12, troops detected a group of militants trying to cross into Kurram from Afghanistan and engaged them. Twelve militants were killed in that exchange, and Naib Subedar Hidayat Aman was martyred. Afghan Taliban posts had also opened fire in support of the infiltration attempt on that occasion.
Tensions remain high along the frontier
The latest exchange comes amid fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan that began in October 2025. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering militants who launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the charge and calls the militancy Pakistan’s own domestic problem.
Around the end of February, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab Lil Haq after renewed clashes along the border, when Afghan Taliban forces fired on several locations and prompted swift military retaliation. The two sides then agreed to a week-long ceasefire on the eve of Eidul Fitr on March 18, after requests from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In April, Pakistan put three core demands to the Afghan Taliban during peace talks in Urumqi, China. It asked Kabul to declare the TTP a terrorist organisation formally, to dismantle its infrastructure and to provide verifiable proof of that action. Those demands form the basis of Pakistan’s negotiating position, and sources say it has hardened as attacks have continued.
The army’s top leadership has also stressed readiness in recent days. Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir visited the Special Services Group headquarters at Tarbela this week and underlined home-grown defence capabilities and sustained training. Pakistan has also condemned the Afghan Taliban over terrorism at the diplomatic level, pressing Kabul to act against groups using its soil.
Where did the clash take place?
The clash took place in the Shaluzan sector of Kurram district, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
What happened during the exchange?
Security sources said militants tried to cross the border, Afghan Taliban forces opened fire without provocation, and Pakistani troops replied with heavy weapons. The infiltration was stopped and Afghan Taliban posts suffered heavy damage.
Were there casualties?
Two militants were killed, and a third escaped in an injured condition. No casualties among Pakistani troops were reported in the accounts published on Thursday.
Has the ISPR confirmed the incident?
No statement from ISPR had appeared by the time the reports were published. The account is based on security sources cited by state media and other outlets.
