ISLAMABAD: The security forces targeted multiple Afghan border positions after firing from across the frontier struck Pakistani checkpoints in Lower South Waziristan, the district’s deputy commissioner.
The official described the firing as unprovoked and said Pakistani troops responded immediately and effectively.
The exchange took place near Angoor Adda, where tensions have increased following recent incidents along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The deputy commissioner said forces engaged several Afghan border posts, mortar positions and defensive checkpoints in response to the firing.
He said the counteraction forced Afghan Taliban personnel to abandon their positions and flee.
The statement did not specify how many posts were targeted, provide a detailed assessment of damage or announce casualties on the Afghan side.
State broadcaster Radio Pakistan also reported that Pakistani forces had responded to firing from Afghan border positions, describing the operation as an immediate reaction to attacks on Pakistani checkpoints.
The deputy commissioner said no casualties had been reported from border areas on the Pakistani side at the time of his statement.
He added that security forces remained prepared to respond fully to any further aggression. The announcement presented the operation as a defensive response to cross-border firing.
The information available about the latest exchange primarily reflected the Pakistani administration’s account. The reported withdrawal of Afghan Taliban personnel was attributed to the deputy commissioner, rather than presented as an independently established battlefield assessment.
The latest confrontation followed an earlier exchange in the Angoor Adda area during the preceding week.
According to reporting by The Associated Press, a Pakistani official said Afghan mortar fire killed one civilian and wounded five others. Shops in the local bazaar were also damaged, while Pakistani forces responded across the border.
Those casualties related to the earlier incident and were separate from Sunday’s exchange, for which the deputy commissioner reported no Pakistani casualties.
Security Dispute Continues to Strain Relations
The border incidents come amid persistent disagreements between Islamabad and Kabul over militant activity and frontier security.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban administration of allowing armed groups to operate from Afghan territory and carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies permitting its territory to be used for such operations.
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The recurring exchanges have added to tensions between the neighbouring countries.
