Security forces thwart terrorists' attempt to infiltrate Pak-Afghan border in Kurram: security sources

Security forces thwart terrorists' attempt to infiltrate Pak-Afghan border in Kurram: security sources

Security forces foiled an attempt by terrorists to cross into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram from Afghanistan and also effectively responded to firing by the Afghan Taliban, security sources said on Tuesday. According to the sources, the terrorists tried to infiltrate the border from Nangarhar and Paktia in Afghanistan. They identified the terrorists as those belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij — a term that the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. When the attempt was thwarted, the Afghan Taliban began firing on Pakistani checkposts on the border, the sources said, adding that the firing was unprovoked. In retaliation, Pakistani troops targeted multiple checkposts of the Afghan Taliban and their defensive positions, the sources said. They added that several Afghan Taliban operatives fled the posts as a result of the retaliation. According to the sources, security forces were constantly monitoring the border situation and remained prepared to respond to any aggression. Pakistan saw a resurgence in terrorism after the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. A day ago, the information ministry said Pakistan had conducted airstrikes on terrorist sites “in the border region with Afghanistan”, killing more than 28 terrorists. In a statement, the ministry stressed that the “calibrated” strikes were carried out “against the hideouts and safe havens of terrorist organisations responsible” for the recent multiple terrorist incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The airstrikes came a few days after a major attack in the old Police Lines in KP’s Kohat claimed 23 lives and injured about 100 others. Eight terrorists were killed during an overnight clearance operation launched to clear the area. On Sunday, two officers and four others were martyred while eight terrorists were eliminated during a fire exchange between a security forces convoy and armed combatants, the military’s media wing said. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP, that are used for attacks in Pakistan. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded. According to a UN Security Council-mandated monitoring report — covering the period from Dec 16, 2025 to June 9, 2026 — Afg­han Taliban’s continued support for TTP has contributed to a rise in the frequency and lethality of terrorist attacks in Pakistan, even as Kabul has taken some initial steps to rein in the group. The report also pointed to growing operational and facilitation linkages among the TTP, Al Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIL-K) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).