Pakistani Troops Foil Infiltration Attempt in Kurram; 12 Killed and One Soldier Martyred

PothikTV News Desk: 11 October 2026, 8:34 am

A Pakistani soldier was martyred and 12 personnel from Fitna al-Khawarij and the Afghan Taliban were killed during an attempted infiltration from Afghanistan into Kurram district, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Sunday.

The military’s media wing stated that security forces detected the movement of a group of khwarij attempting to approach the international border from the Afghan side on October 10. Pakistani troops effectively engaged the group upon detection.

Despite the high state of alertness maintained by Pakistani forces, security personnel came under fire from Afghan Taliban posts that opened fire to support the infiltration bid. The ISPR noted that skillful and precise engagement by vigilant troops resulted in the neutralisation of 12 khwarij and Afghan Taliban personnel.

During the intense exchange of fire, 40-year-old Naib Subedar Hidayat Aman, a resident of Ghizer district, embraced martyrdom. Following the engagement, security forces launched a sanitisation operation in the area to eliminate any remaining Indian-sponsored khwarij.

The ISPR stated that the incident along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border once again vindicates Pakistan’s position regarding the Afghan Taliban regime’s failure to prevent terrorist organisations from using Afghan territory. The military media wing alleged that the regime actively facilitated and patronised cross-border terrorism while consistently failing to meet its international counter-terrorism obligations.

Reaffirming its commitment to national defense, the ISPR said security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue their counter-terrorism campaign under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” vision, which was approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, to eliminate foreign-sponsored terrorism.

The clash in Kurram occurred just two days after security forces killed seven Fitna al-Khwarij terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, where several militant hideouts were also destroyed.

Pakistan has experienced a sharp increase in cross-border terrorist incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. According to data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), Pakistan recorded 225 militant attacks in September 2026, marking a 13 percent increase from August and the highest monthly attack total in 12 years.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to take effective action against militant groups operating from Afghan soil. Despite multiple rounds of bilateral talks, the issue of cross-border terrorism remains a major source of contention between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban administration.