KPK: Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday rejected claims made by Afghanistan’s defence ministry regarding the Angoor Adda border incident, describing them as a “fabrication of lies” amid escalating tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
According to Pakistani officials, Afghan security forces opened unprovoked fire on Pakistan Army border posts and residential areas in Lower South Waziristan on Tuesday, killing one local resident and injuring five others.
The ministry said the firing violated established border protocols and prompted an immediate response from Pakistani security forces.
However, Afghanistan’s defence ministry alleged that Pakistani military personnel had launched drones targeting the Angoor Adda bazaar and the commissioner’s office in Paktika province without provocation. It claimed Afghan forces subsequently carried out retaliatory strikes against a nearby Pakistani military base and border outposts.
Responding to these allegations, the information ministry’s fact-checking account on X said Afghan Taliban forces had initiated the confrontation through firing and mortar shelling targeting civilians on the Pakistani side.
The ministry further claimed that Pakistan’s security forces inflicted heavy casualties and material losses on Afghan forces, including the destruction of seven posts. These claims could not be independently verified.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also condemned the incident, warning that Pakistan would not tolerate attacks on its citizens or violations of its territorial sovereignty.
He said the province had sacrificed thousands of lives in the fight against terrorism and reaffirmed the armed forces’ commitment to defending the country.
Officials said the firing originated from positions inside Afghan territory and involved small and heavy weapons. Pakistani forces reportedly responded with artillery and other weapons, targeting Afghan border posts, mortar positions and defensive bunkers.
Angoor Adda is a strategically important crossing along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, serving as a route for trade and public movement between the two countries.
The latest confrontation comes amid strained relations over counterterrorism efforts. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to prevent militant groups, particularly the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), from operating on Afghan soil.
Recent months have witnessed further border clashes, drone-related incidents and Pakistani strikes targeting alleged terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan.
Despite the continuing tensions, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has maintained that dialogue remains possible, while stressing that engagement with Kabul cannot be unconditional. Islamabad has also expressed willingness to welcome sincere mediation efforts by friendly countries to help resolve the dispute.
