• Officials say heavy losses inflicted in retaliatory fire
• Militants’ attempt to infiltrate using ‘Afghan Taliban-controlled posts’ repelled

PESHAWAR: A Frontier Constabulary (FC) soldier was martyred and 11 others were injured when Afghan forces launched unprovoked fire on multiple Pakistani border posts in the Upper Kurram district on Saturday morning, sources said.

The Afghan forces targeted border posts in Ghozgarhi, Matha Sangar, Kot Ragha and Tari Mengal areas using both light and heavy weaponry, the sources said, adding that Pakistani security forces retaliated, inflicting significant losses on the other side as seven to eight personnel of the Afghan forces were killed in the exchange of fire.

Besides, militants made an infiltration attempt late on Friday night, using the posts controlled by the Afghan Taliban to cross into Pakistani territory, but the attempt was thwarted.

“After the infiltration attempt failed, militants and Afghan forces jointly opened fire on Pakistani posts with heavy weapons on Saturday morning. The firing was effectively responded to and there are confirmed reports of heavy losses on the Afghan side with over 15 militants dead and many others wounded,” another source said, adding that Afghan forces abandoned their posts and left the area after the incident.

Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns over Afghan soil being used by militants for cross-border terrorism, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has intensified its activities since calling off a ceasefire in November 2022.

Last year, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Asim Munir expressed Pakistan’s concerns over militant sanctuaries in Afghanistan. He ruled out any negotiations with the outlawed TTP, emphasising the need to address cross-border terrorism.

However, the sources said that instead of controlling the militants, the Afghan Taliban were continuously supporting them.

The attack on Pakistani border posts took place days after, according to security officials, Pakistani fighter jets bombed TTP camps in Afghanistan’s Paktika province. They said the strikes left several militants killed and wounded.

Sources said the TTP camps in the Murgha and Laman areas of Paktika’s Bermal district were targeted, adding that one of the camps was used by Sher Zaman alias Mukhlis Yar, ‘commander’ Abu Hamza, ‘commander’ Akhtar Mohammad, and the head of TTP’s media arm, Umar Media.

Afghan authorities had warned on Wednesday they would retaliate after the Pakistani bombardment. Islamabad said it had targeted hideouts of militants along the border.

According to Reuters, Afghanistan’s defence ministry said on Saturday that Afghan Taliban forces targeted “several points” in Pakistan, days after Pakistani aircraft carried out aerial bombardment inside Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2024