ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces prevented an attempted cross-border incursion by Afghan Taliban, several of whom were killed during an exchange in the Gulistan sector along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Balochistan, Pakistani security sources said early Friday.
According to the sources, Afghan forces attempted to enter Pakistani territory in the border area, prompting an immediate retaliatory response by security forces.
Intermittent exchange of fire continued in the border area, the sources added.
Gulistan sector in Balochistan is a volatile stretch of the frontier that has seen repeated flare-ups in recent months.
The latest confrontation adds to a growing list of cross-border security incidents that have plagued Pakistan since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021.
The provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have borne the brunt of this uptick, with terrorist groups repeatedly exploiting the porous frontier.
In February, Pakistan launched a dedicated counter-terrorism campaign, Operation Ghazab lil-Haq.
Pakistani officials have long pressed Kabul to rein in armed factions operating from Afghan territory, arguing that these groups continue launching attacks against Pakistani troops and civilians largely unchecked. The Taliban regime denies these allegations, rejecting claims that it is failing to act against such elements.
Despite several rounds of diplomatic talks, the presence of Afghanistan-supported terrorist networks in Afghanistan and along the border remains the central sticking point in Pakistan-Afghan relations.