Multiple Afghan Taliban killed as Pakistan forces foil border attack: sources

• Attempted incursion foiled in Gulistan border sector.
• Security forces respond swiftly to aggression.
• Intermittent firing continues between both sides.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces have foiled an attempt by Afghan Taliban fighters to carry out an attack in the Gulistan sector along the Pak-Afghan border, killing several Taliban personnel in a retaliatory operation, security sources said on Thursday.

According to the sources, security forces responded promptly to the attempted aggression in the border area, inflicting casualties on the Afghan Taliban.

Intermittent firing between Pakistani security forces and Afghan Taliban fighters is continuing, the sources said. They added that Pakistan’s security forces remain fully alert and vigilant along the border.

It comes hours after Pakistan conducted precision aerial and drone strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan in response to recent attempted drone attacks launched by the Taliban regime earlier this week, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said.

Pakistan shot down eight drones after they entered the country's airspace from Afghanistan, security sources had said.

Four drones were brought down in areas adjacent to the Torkham border, while the remaining four were shot down in mountainous areas near Kohat.

Pakistan does not seek escalation and remains committed to regional peace, dialogue and constructive engagement, said Tarar.

However, the minister said this commitment must not be mistaken for weakness or an unlimited tolerance of hostile actions.

“Pakistan will defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the lives of its citizens with full resolve and will take all necessary measures to protect them. Any further provocative act by Afghan Taliban will be responded with firm and resolute response.”

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in cross-border terrorist incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by militant organisations to carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Pakistan maintains that the Afghan Taliban authorities have failed to take effective action against groups responsible for attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians, a position Kabul has disputed.

Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February 2026, months after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025 following clashes along several border points.

Despite multiple rounds of talks, Islamabad and Kabul have yet to resolve their differences, with the issue of militant groups operating from Afghan soil remaining a major point of contention between the two sides.