Pakistan says five soldiers and 25 fighters killed in Afghan border clashes
Category: Breaking News | By: AFSHAN RIAZ | 2025-10-27 14:01:52
🌟 Key Highlights
💥 Fresh border clashes in Kurram and North Waziristan leave five Pakistani soldiers and 25 fighters dead.
🚨 Pakistan accuses the Taliban government of failing to curb cross-border terrorism.
🕊️ Both countries currently in peace talks in Istanbul, mediated by Turkiye and Qatar.
⚖️ Ceasefire remains intact, says Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif.
🧭 US President Donald Trump comments on the crisis, offering to mediate.
📡 Afghan delegation proposes monitoring mechanism for future ceasefire violations.
💣 Deadly Clashes Along the Frontier
At least five Pakistani soldiers and 25 militants were killed in fresh cross-border clashes near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the Pakistani military confirmed on Sunday.
The violence erupted as both nations’ delegations were holding peace negotiations in Istanbul to prevent a broader conflict.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), armed men attempted to infiltrate from Afghan territory into Kurram and North Waziristan districts on Friday and Saturday.
“These infiltrations raise serious questions about Kabul’s commitment to tackling terrorism emanating from its soil,” the military stated. 🧠
The Pakistani side accused the Taliban authorities of failing to take effective action against militant groups operating inside Afghanistan — a longstanding source of tension between the two neighbors.
🕌 Taliban’s Response & Istanbul Peace Talks
As of Sunday, Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government had not officially commented on the new clashes. However, it has repeatedly denied harboring militants and instead accused Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty through air strikes.
Meanwhile, both sides’ delegations arrived in Istanbul, Turkiye over the weekend for high-level peace talks aimed at avoiding an escalation.
The negotiations follow a ceasefire brokered in Doha by Qatar and Turkiye, marking an effort to end the worst border fighting since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul.
🕊️ Earlier this month, similar violence along the frontier had killed dozens and wounded hundreds, raising fears of a new regional crisis.
⚠️ ‘Open War’ Warning
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif confirmed that the ceasefire remains in place, though he issued a stark warning:
“Kabul appears interested in peace, but if talks in Istanbul fail, open war remains an option.” ⚔️
The military, meanwhile, referred to the attackers as members of “Fitna al-Khwarij” — a term used by Pakistan for foreign-backed militant outfits motivated by extremist ideology.
🌍 International Reactions
Even the global community took notice. US President Donald Trump, speaking at the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, said he had been briefed on the situation and vowed to “solve the Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis very quickly,” hinting at Washington’s potential involvement in mediation efforts. 🇺🇸
🤝 Afghanistan’s Proposal for Peace
According to Afghan broadcaster RTA, Kabul’s delegation, led by Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib, submitted a proposal during more than 15 hours of discussions in Istanbul.
The proposal included:
🚫 Ending Pakistan’s cross-border air strikes.
🛑 Preventing any anti-Afghan group from operating inside Pakistan.
🔍 Creating a four-party monitoring mechanism to track and investigate ceasefire violations.
Pakistan’s representatives for the Istanbul talks have not yet been publicly disclosed.
🔎 What Lies Ahead
Analysts believe the talks will focus on intelligence-sharing, allowing Islamabad to share coordinates of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters with Kabul — for direct action by the Taliban government instead of Pakistan launching unilateral air operations.
While peace remains the stated goal, the latest bloodshed underscores how fragile the border situation remains, and how deep mistrust still defines relations between Islamabad and Kabul. 🇵🇰🤝🇦🇫
