Pakistani and Afghan Taliban forces exchange fire on border; both sides report casualties on the other side

Pakistani troops and Afghan Taliban forces exchanged fire along their border on Saturday 17 October, with each side reporting casualties on the other.

Pakistan’s state broadcaster PTV and the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan, citing security sources, said Afghan forces opened fire to “facilitate terrorists” crossing into Pakistan in the Upper Kurram area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Dawn reported. They said the army responded with heavy weapons and artillery, destroyed the Taliban’s Shipola base camp and hit its Topsar post, and that “several” Taliban personnel were reportedly killed.

Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews, citing a security source, said at least seven Pakistani soldiers were killed and six wounded in clashes in the Dand-Patan district of Afghanistan’s Paktia province, TASS reported. It said two border towers and a CCTV camera were destroyed.

Neither side’s casualty figures could be independently verified. Arab News reported there was no immediate comment from the Taliban authorities in Kabul.

Background

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of letting militants, especially the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), use Afghan territory to launch attacks. Kabul denies this and says Pakistan’s security problems are an internal matter. The two countries have clashed on and off since major fighting in October 2025, and Pakistan has carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, most recently on 1 October, according to Dawn. Kabul does not recognise the 2,600km border, known as the Durand Line. On Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said talks with Afghanistan could not be unconditional but that it would welcome efforts by friendly countries to help.