At least five Pakistani soldiers and 25 militants were killed in fierce clashes near the Afghanistan border, the Pakistani military said on Sunday, marking one of the deadliest confrontations in recent weeks.
According to an official statement, the fighting erupted late Saturday in the restive border region where Pakistani forces have been conducting counterterrorism operations. The military said troops came under heavy fire from “terrorist elements,” triggering a prolonged gun battle that left significant casualties on both sides.
The military did not specify which militant group was involved, though several factions—including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)—are known to operate in the mountainous frontier areas.
The incident occurred even as delegations from Pakistan and Afghanistan met in Istanbul to discuss ways to reduce border tensions following an earlier series of deadly skirmishes. Both sides have traded accusations of harboring armed groups responsible for cross-border attacks.
Officials said the talks in Istanbul, brokered by Turkish diplomats, would continue despite the latest violence. “We remain committed to dialogue, but our security forces will respond firmly to any act of aggression,” a senior Pakistani security official said.
The Afghan interim government has yet to issue a formal response to the Pakistani military’s statement.
The recent surge in violence has heightened fears of renewed instability along the 2,600-kilometer border, where security has remained fragile since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
