Pakistan vows strong response after Afghan retaliatory operation at border
Islamabad on Sunday vowed a “firm and forceful” response after Afghanistan’s Taliban-run defence ministry said it had carried out a retaliatory operation overnight against Pakistani forces along the shared border.
The Taliban ministry said the operation was launched “in response to repeated violations and air strikes” by the Pakistani military on Afghan territory. Pakistan, which did not confirm strikes on Kabul earlier in the week, said its forces came under attack along the Durand Line and fired back.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that there would be “no compromise on Pakistan’s defence” and that every provocation would be met with a “powerful and effective” response, accusing Kabul of harbouring “terrorist elements.” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi added that Afghanistan was “playing with fire and blood” and signalled that Islamabad could respond as decisively as it did during the near‑confrontation with India in May.
The clashes prompted the temporary closure of key border crossings. Officials on both sides said the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings — vital transit points for people and goods, including thousands of Afghans expelled recently from Pakistan — were shut early Sunday. Pakistani authorities said civilian staff were withdrawn from frontier posts and paramilitary reinforcements were deployed.
Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have been high since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of providing refuge to the Tehrik‑i‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an insurgent group blamed for killing hundreds of Pakistani soldiers since 2021. The TTP claimed responsibility for attacks in Pakistan’s northwest on Friday that killed 23 people, including civilians.
Islamabad says the Afghan authorities tolerate or even support the TTP’s resurgence; Kabul rejects those charges and accuses Pakistan of backing other militant groups, including regional Islamic State affiliates. A U.N. Security Council report earlier this year concluded that the TTP “has likely been one of the principal beneficiaries” of the Taliban takeover, claiming shelter and support in Afghanistan.
Kabul announced the end of its retaliatory operation around midnight local time, but both sides remain on heightened alert and diplomatic channels appear strained. Islamabad stressed it will not tolerate cross‑border attacks and vowed to act against groups it holds responsible, whether operating from Pakistani or Afghan soil.
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