At least 13 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed after Pakistan’s security forces successfully repelled an attempted attack in the Gulistan sector along the Pak-Afghan border during the night of September 24-25, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced on Friday.
The ministry dismissed Afghanistan’s claims that a Pakistani post near Spin Boldak was destroyed and that Afghan forces suffered no casualties, labeling them as false and fabricated. It clarified that the actual events involved thwarting an Afghan aggression in the Gulistan sector, where heavy retaliation inflicted significant losses on Taliban positions, resulting in at least 13 Taliban personnel killed and several others wounded.
This incident follows Pakistan’s military response to a series of drone incursions originating from Afghanistan earlier in the week. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Pakistan conducted precision air and drone strikes at 10 locations inside Afghanistan as retaliation for these attacks. The ministry also released footage of the border engagement and subsequent operations against the Afghan Taliban, underscoring the authenticity of their account. The ministry criticized the Afghan Ministry’s statements, calling the Taliban habitual liars lacking moral credibility.
Earlier reports indicated that Pakistani forces intercepted and shot down eight drones that crossed into Pakistan’s airspace from Afghanistan. Four drones were downed near the Torkham border, while the other four were neutralized in mountainous regions around Kohat.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that 33 Indian-sponsored terrorists have been killed in various areas of Balochistan since September 21. This was part of an ongoing counter-terrorism campaign targeting Indian-backed groups Fitna Al Khawarij and Fitna Al Hindustan in the province.
On September 24, during the continuation of “Operation Shaban,” security forces uncovered additional terrorist hideouts. After intense firefights, five Indian-sponsored Khwarij militants were killed, bringing the total to 22 eliminated so far. Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were seized from these locations. The clearance operation will persist until the threat in the area is fully neutralized, the ISPR stated.
In a separate intelligence-based operation on September 25 in Nushki district, security forces engaged a terrorist hideout. Following fierce exchanges, 11 terrorists were killed. The military vowed to maintain the momentum of its counter-terrorism campaign under the vision “Azm e Istehkam,” aiming to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism from Pakistan.
Pakistan has experienced a significant increase in cross-border terrorist incidents, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban regained power in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan. However, Pakistan asserts that the Afghan Taliban authorities have not taken effective measures against these groups, a claim Kabul disputes.
Pakistan initiated Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February 2026, months after both countries agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025 following clashes along multiple border points. Despite several rounds of dialogue, Islamabad and Kabul have yet to resolve their differences, with the presence of militant groups operating from Afghan soil remaining a major sticking point between the two nations.
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