Security forces foiled an infiltration attempt from Afghanistan into Kurram district, killing 12 militants and Afghan Taliban personnel, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday. A soldier was also martyred during the operation, the military’s media wing added.
The military said the group had been spotted on October 10 while trying to approach the international border, and troops moved to engage it. The statement was issued on October 11 and described the response as effective.
Troops engaged the group and absorbed fire from Afghan posts
According to the ISPR, troops maintained a high level of alertness, yet they came under fire from Afghan Taliban posts that opened up to support the infiltration attempt. Precise and skilful fire from the vigilant soldiers, the agency said, resulted in the deaths of 12 militants and Afghan Taliban personnel.
Naib Subedar Hidayat Aman, 40, a resident of Ghizer district, lost his life in the heavy exchange of fire, the military said.
Military accuses Kabul of enabling cross-border militancy
The ISPR said the clash reinforced Pakistan’s long-held view that the Afghan Taliban government has failed to stop terrorist groups from using Afghan territory. It alleged that the regime had instead facilitated and backed cross-border terrorism, and that it had consistently failed to meet its international counter-terrorism obligations.
A sanitisation operation is continuing in the area to eliminate any remaining militants the statement described as Indian-sponsored. Security forces and law enforcement agencies, the ISPR said, will keep pursuing their campaign under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” vision, which the Federal Apex Committee approved under the National Action Plan. The statement added that the sacrifices of personnel strengthened the country’s resolve to protect its frontiers “at all costs”.
Militant attacks rise as Islamabad and Kabul remain at odds
The incident came two days after forces killed seven Fitna al-Khwarij militants in an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the ISPR said. That operation targeted India-backed militants under the same vision, and several hideouts were destroyed.
Data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based independent think tank, recorded 225 militant attacks across the country in September, compared with 199 in August, an increase of 13%. The figure marked the third consecutive monthly rise and the highest monthly total in 12 years, according to the think tank’s data, which covers the period from September 2026.
Pakistan has seen a sharp increase in cross-border attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly asked Kabul to stop its territory being used by militant groups, and says Afghan Taliban authorities have not taken effective action against those responsible for attacks on its forces and civilians. Despite several rounds of talks, the two sides have yet to resolve their differences, with militant groups operating from Afghan soil remaining the central point of contention.
