ISLAMABAD – Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions intensified sharply on Thursday as Pakistani security forces reportedly foiled an attempted cross-border incursion in the Gulistan sector, killing several Afghan Taliban fighters during a swift response, according to Pakistani security accounts.
The attempted intrusion was reported late Thursday after Afghan Taliban fighters allegedly tried to enter Pakistani territory. Pakistani forces responded immediately, while intermittent firing continued in the area.
افغانستان کی جانب سے کشیدگی کے جواب میں پاک فوج کے جوابی کاروائی کے مناظر۔ طالبان کے نا پاک عزائم خاک میں ملا کر بھر پور جواب دیا گیا۔#PakistanArmy #Afghanistan #BorderSecurity #Pakistan #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/7NvFSAzyHW
— Vision Point (@VisionPointPK) September 24, 2026
Security personnel have been placed on high alert across the sensitive border sector to prevent any further infiltration or aggression.
The latest confrontation comes amid a rapidly escalating series of incidents involving cross-border militant activity, drone incursions, artillery exchanges and Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.
The escalation gathered pace on September 23, when Pakistan reported that its air-defence systems had intercepted eight drones that entered Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan.
Four drones were reportedly brought down near Torkham, while another four were intercepted in mountainous areas near Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistani security sources said the drones were detected, tracked and neutralised before reaching their alleged targets, which reportedly included public areas.
Pakistan accused the Afghan Taliban of launching the drones and described the incident as a deliberate violation of its sovereignty.
The Afghan Taliban rejected the allegation, with officials saying its air force had not been involved in launching the drones or conducting attacks against Pakistan.
Border Clashes
The drone incident occurred amid renewed fighting along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier. Pakistani forces said they had earlier thwarted a militant infiltration attempt from areas near Afghan positions in Paktia and Nangarhar.
According to the Pakistani account, Afghan forces subsequently opened fire with mortars and heavy weapons, prompting Pakistani troops to respond with artillery.
The exchanges have kept several sections of the frontier tense, with security forces maintaining heightened vigilance.
Pakistan Strikes 10 Locations in Afghanistan
The confrontation escalated further on September 24, when the Pakistan Air Force carried out aerial and drone strikes inside Afghanistan.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistani forces targeted 10 locations allegedly being used to launch and store drones.
He described the operation as deliberate, precise, calibrated, proportionate and limited to identified military objectives, saying it was conducted in self-defence against the alleged attacks.
The reported targets were located in Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces.
Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that strikes had taken place in the three provinces and said four civilians were killed.
Mujahid condemned the Pakistani operation as aggression and warned that Afghanistan would give an “appropriate response.”
Some local Afghan officials, however, reported no casualties in certain areas, including parts of Khost.
Kohat Attack
The latest border crisis follows the deadly attack on the Old Police Lines complex in Kohat on September 18–19.
Militants reportedly used a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device against the complex, with the attack taking place around a mosque during Friday prayers.
A prolonged gun battle and security operation followed, lasting approximately 20 to 22 hours.
Reported casualty figures have varied, with estimates generally ranging between 21 and 31 deaths, depending on whether attackers are included in the totals. More than 100 people were reportedly injured, most of them police personnel.
Security forces killed eight attackers during the clearance operation.
The attack was claimed by Ittihad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, also known as Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen. Reports have linked the group with militant networks including the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction, which has reported connections to Afghanistan.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing anti-Pakistan militant organisations, including elements associated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghan territory.
Islamabad has demanded concrete action against such groups, while the Afghan Taliban has rejected accusations that it provides sanctuary to militants targeting Pakistan.
Pakistan had already carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan around September 21, targeting what it described as militant hideouts.
Pakistani officials claimed that dozens of militants were killed in those operations, while Afghan authorities reported civilian casualties.
The strikes were followed by renewed border clashes, the September 23 drone interceptions and the latest September 24 operations.
The rapidly unfolding sequence has transformed what began as a series of individual security incidents into a broader confrontation between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban.
Security Forces on High Alert
Pakistani security forces remain on heightened alert along sensitive sections of the western border amid fears of further infiltration, drone activity or cross-border attacks.
Pakistan has maintained that any aggression originating from Afghan territory and directed at Pakistani soil will receive a timely and effective response.
The Afghan Taliban, meanwhile, has rejected several of Pakistan’s allegations and condemned Pakistani military operations inside Afghanistan.
The situation remains volatile, with both sides issuing warnings and presenting conflicting accounts of responsibility, casualties and targets.
Pakistan carries out strikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan after unlawful incursion by Taliban regime
