Pakistan Army destroys Afghan Taliban posts in response to firing at Angoor Adda: state media

Pakistan’s armed forces targeted and destroyed several Afghan Taliban posts and military positions in areas adjacent to South Waziristan and Parachinar, state media reported on Friday, citing security sources.

According to state-run Radio Pakistan, the army “gave a befitting reply to unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban along the Pak-Afghan border in the Angoor Adda area” on Tuesday.

“Using heavy weaponry, the Pakistan Army forced Afghan Taliban personnel to abandon their posts and flee,” the report said.

Citing reports, it added that several Afghan Taliban regime personnel were also killed during the operation.

“Security forces remain committed to the defence of the country and the protection of its people and there will be no compromise on national security,” the report said.

On Tuesday, Afghan security forces opened unprovoked fire on Pakistan Army border posts and residential areas in the Angoor Adda border area, which claimed the life of one local and injured a family of five.

According to officials, the firing originated from posts located inside Afghan territory and targeted Pakistani border posts with sniper, small and heavy weapons.

Sources said that Pakistani forces launched an immediate and effective retaliatory action, engaging multiple Afghan Taliban border posts, mortar positions and defensive bunkers with small and heavy arms, including artillery.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had condemned the firing, asserting that Pakistan would “never tolerate” attacks on its people or violations of its sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Pakistan had also dismissed a statement by Afghanistan’s defence ministry regarding the incident that claimed that Pakistan was the aggressor, terming it a “fabrication of lies”.

The border at Angoor Adda is one of the most important and sensitive crossings along the Pak-Afghan border, serving as a key trade route and one of the main points of public movement between the two countries.

Pak-Afghan tensions

Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, that are used for attacks in Pakistan. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.

September witnessed another bout of conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

On Sept 21, in response to recent major terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan conducted “calibrated” airstrikes in the border region with Afghanistan against terrorist hideouts, with the government saying more than 28 terrorists were killed.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the action as part of Operation Ghazab lil Haq, which was launched on the night of Feb 26 in response to unprovoked cross-border firing by the Afghan Taliban.

Days later, Pakistan shot down eight drones launched from across the border that had entered Pakistani airspace near the Torkham border and Kohat. It was also reported that the Afghan Taliban engaged in unprovoked firing the night before near Kurram as security forces foiled an attempt by terrorists to cross into Pakistan.

In retaliation for the drone incursion, Pakistan conducted “precision aerial and drone strikes” in 10 locations across Afghanistan.

A demarche was also delivered to the Afghan side on Sept 26 on account of the Sept 23 airspace violation by drones, the Foreign Office said.

On Oct 1, Pakistan again carried out “well-planned and calibrated” airstrikes against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, the information ministry said, adding that the strikes resulted in the deaths of “multiple terrorists”.

Around mid-October, the state media reported that security forces had again responded to unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in KP’s Upper Kurram.

It quoted security sources as saying that several personnel of the Afghan Taliban were “reportedly killed during the Pakistan Army’s retaliatory action along the Ghuzgarhi border”. The sources further said that in the Upper Kurram sector, the army targeted the Afghan Taliban’s Topsar post and Shipola base camp with artillery fire, reportedly completely destroying the latter.

The border skirmishes came a day after the Foreign Office said that talks with Afghanistan could not be unconditional, but also rejected suggestions that Islamabad was unwilling to engage with its neighbour and said it would welcome sincere efforts by friendly countries to help resolve the dispute.