ISLAMABAD: At least eight Afghan Taliban fighters were killed, and 16 others wounded, early on September 7, as Pakistani forces responded to unprovoked cross-border fire from Afghanistan’s Pilwasin area.
Two senior Afghan Taliban commanders, Khalil and Jan Muhammad, were killed during the exchange of fire, according to sources.
“The Afghan Taliban opened fire on Pakistani checkposts using advanced weaponry in Pilwasin on the morning of September 7 and Pakistani soldiers retaliated swiftly causing casualties of the terrorists,” the sources stated.
Importantly, Pakistan has experienced a notable increase in cross-border attacks targeting its security forces in recent months, coinciding with a rise in terrorist activities within its borders.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged Afghanistan’s interim government to prevent the use of its territory by groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant organizations to launch attacks against Pakistan.
Earlier this year, Pakistan implemented a major policy shift, strictly enforcing international laws at its border with Afghanistan to curb the flow of militants and smuggled goods into the country.
Afghanistan, however, does not recognize the Durand Line—the official border established in 1893 between British India and Afghanistan—arguing it was drawn to divide ethnic Pashtuns. The two nations share a 2,640-kilometre border and have 18 official crossing points, with Torkham and Chaman being the most heavily used for trade and movement.
In 2017, Pakistan began fencing the border to control terrorist infiltration, a move condemned by Kabul.
Just last month, three Pakistani soldiers were martyred during a firefight with terrorists attempting to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan near Bajaur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “Our troops effectively engaged and thwarted the infiltration attempt, killing five militants and wounding four.”
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has faced a surge in violent attacks, particularly in the border regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
