Security forces repulsed an attack by the Afghan Taliban in Balochistan on Wednesday, killing around 15 to 20 Afghan Taliban, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
According to a statement by the ISPR, Afghan Taliban “resorted to cowardly attack[s] at four locations in [the] Spin Boldak area” in the early hours of Wednesday. “The attack was effectively repulsed by Pakistani forces,” the statement said.
It added that as Pakistani troops repelled the attack,15 to 20 Afghan Taliban were killed and several others were injured.
“The situation is still developing. There are reports of further buildup at staging points of Fitna-al-Khwarij and [the] Afghan Taliban,” the statement said.
Fitna-al-Khwarij is the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The ISPR said that the attack from the Afghan side was “unfortunately […] orchestrated through divided villages in the area, with no regard for [the] civil population”.
“The Afghan Taliban also destroyed the Pak-Afghan Friendship Gate on their side, which clearly displays the mindset with regard to mutual trade and easement rights of the divided tribes,” it added.
The statement by the military’s media affairs wing underlined that the incident in Balochistan was an isolated event.
“On [the] night of October 14/15, Afghan Taliban and Fitna-al-Khwarij tried to attack Pakistani border posts in Kurram Sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“These attacks were effectively repulsed, causing heavy losses to Afghan posts. Eight posts, including six tanks, were destroyed in the effective yet proportionate response of Pakistani troops. Twenty-five to thirty Afghan Taliban and Fitna-al-Khwarij fighters were suspected to have been killed,” the ISPR said.
Following the clash in Kurram last night and earlier skirmishes that began on Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning, today’s incident is the third major instance of escalation at the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan within a week.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
