Pakistan says it repelled cross-border attacks by Afghan Taliban in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Pakistan’s military said early on Oct. 15 that it repulsed coordinated attacks by the Afghan Taliban at multiple locations in the Spin Boldak area of Balochistan and along the Kurram sector of the country’s northwestern border.

In a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the armed forces said the attacks — which they described as “cowardly” and launched from villages across the border — were effectively beaten back. ISPR said Pakistani forces inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers and that the situation remained “still developing.”

Key details from the ISPR statement:

The Spin Boldak assault occurred in the early hours of Oct. 15. ISPR said 15–20 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and many others wounded while attempting to stage attacks from divided villages, which, the military charged, showed disregard for civilian safety.

The statement accused the Afghan Taliban of destroying the Pak–Afghan Friendship Gate on their side, calling the act indicative of “the mindset with regards to mutual trade and easement rights of the divided tribes.”

ISPR said that on the night of Oct. 14–15, Afghan Taliban elements and a group referred to as Fitna Al Khwarij attempted to strike Pakistani border posts in the Kurram sector. According to the military, Pakistani forces responded with “effective yet proportionate” force, destroying eight enemy posts and six tanks, and causing an estimated 25–30 militant fatalities.

The military rejected claims by the Afghan side that Pakistan had initiated hostilities or that Pakistani posts or equipment had been captured, calling such allegations “outrageous and blatant lies.”

“While repulsing the attack, 15–20 Afghan Taliban have been killed and many injured,” the ISPR statement said. “The Armed Forces stand resolute and fully prepared to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan. All acts of aggression against Pakistan will be responded to with full force.”

The incidents mark a serious escalation along stretches of the Pakistan–Afghanistan frontier that have seen periodic cross-border firing, insurgent activity and accusations from both sides. Islamabad’s account has not been independently verified; officials in Kabul and representatives of the Taliban have not yet issued a detailed, corroborating public response to the ISPR claims.

Observers say renewed cross-border violence could heighten tensions between Pakistan and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, complicate regional security dynamics, and further imperil civilian communities living near the frontier. International and regional diplomatic responses were still emerging as of Wednesday.