Security forces have responded to unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Upper Kurram, state broadcaster PTV News reported on Saturday.
PTV News and state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), which cited security sources, said the Afghan Taliban forces opened fire to “facilitate terrorists” along the border in Taldah sector of Upper Kurram.
The army responded using heavy weapons, destroying several Afghan Taliban posts and forcing their personnel to flee from there, PTV News reported.
Meanwhile, APP quoted security sources as saying that several personnel of the Afghan Taliban were “reportedly killed during the Pakistan Army’s retaliatory action along the Ghuzgarhi border”.
The sources further said that in the Upper Kurram sector, the army targeted the Afghan Taliban’s Topsar post and Shipola base camp with artillery fire, reportedly completely destroying the latter.
The exchange of fire was still ongoing in the area, APP quoted security sources as saying.
The border skirmishes come a day after the Foreign Office (FO) said that talks with Afghanistan could not be unconditional, but also rejected suggestions that Islamabad was unwilling to engage with its neighbour and said it would welcome sincere efforts by friendly countries to help resolve the dispute.
“Pakistan is not shying away from discussions or dialogue, including with representatives of Afghanistan. Pakistan would welcome any sincere efforts by friendly countries that could help address our legitimate security concerns and promoting regional peace and stability,” FO spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said at the weekly media briefing.
The statement came after Russia recently renewed its readiness to mediate between the two countries, although Islamabad denied the existence of any such initiative.
“At present, I am not aware of any separate, formal Russian mediation initiative being under discussion,” Khan said.
Pak-Afghan tensions
Ties between the two neighbours have been strained in the past few years as Islamabad continues to voice its concern over cross-border terrorism.
September witnessed another bout of conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
On Sept 21, in response to recent major terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan conducted “calibrated” airstrikes in the border region with Afghanistan against terrorist hideouts, with the government saying more than 28 terrorists were killed.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the action as part of Operation Ghazab lil Haq, which was launched on the night of Feb 26 in response to unprovoked cross-border firing by the Afghan Taliban.
Days later, Pakistan shot down eight drones launched from across the border that had entered Pakistani airspace near the Torkham border and Kohat. It was also reported that the Afghan Taliban engaged in unprovoked firing the night before near Kurram as security forces foiled an attempt by terrorists to cross into Pakistan.
In retaliation for the drone incursion, Pakistan conducted “precision aerial and drone strikes” in 10 locations across Afghanistan.
A demarche was also delivered to the Afghan side on Sept 26 on account of the Sept 23 airspace violation by drones, the Foreign Office said.
On Oct 1, Pakistan again carried out “well-planned and calibrated” airstrikes against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, the information ministry said, which resulted in the deaths of “multiple terrorists”.
