RAWALPINDI: Pakistani military said 200 militants were killed and 23 soldiers martyred after repelling an overnight attack by Afghan Taliban and allied Khawarij along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported today.
According to the ISPR, the assault took place on the night of October 11–12, 2025, and included sustained fire and several ground raids aimed at destabilising border districts. Pakistan’s armed forces responded with precision fires, strikes and physical raids directed at militant camps, training facilities and support networks allegedly operating from Afghan territory.
The statement said Pakistani forces temporarily captured 21 hostile positions on the Afghan side and destroyed multiple Taliban posts, camps and headquarters. The ISPR accused the groups Fitna al Khawarij (FAK), Fitna al Hindustan (FAH) and ISKP/Daesh of involvement, and asserted that the operation dealt substantial infrastructural damage to terrorist infrastructure.
Twenty-three Pakistani soldiers were killed and 29 wounded during overnight skirmishes, the military said. Intelligence and damage assessments, ISPR added, estimate more than 200 Taliban and affiliated fighters were neutralised, with additional injured.
The ISPR emphasised that all feasible measures were taken to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage. It framed the response as an exercise of Pakistan’s right to self-defence and warned that persistent actions will continue if Afghan territory is used to plan or launch attacks against Pakistan.
The military’s statement also noted the timing of the incident during a visit by the Taliban foreign minister to India and accused New Delhi of sponsoring terrorism — an allegation India rejects. The ISPR called on the Taliban government to take immediate, verifiable action against militant groups operating from its soil to preserve regional peace and security. Officials said evacuation and relief arrangements were on standby for border communities while diplomatic channels were engaged to de-escalate tensions and prevent further bloodshed.
