PESHAWAR – The Pakistan Army responded with force on April 26 after Afghan Taliban elements opened unprovoked fire on civilian areas in the Angoor Adda region of South Waziristan, injuring at least three civilians including two women .
Security sources confirmed that the firing occurred following a failed infiltration attempt by Fitna al-Khwarij groups—a term used by Pakistani authorities for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)—who were attempting to cross into Pakistani territory .
“Following their failure, the Afghan Taliban targeted the civilian population,” sources told media, adding that the injured were immediately shifted to Wana Hospital where their condition is reported to be stable . Security forces launched a retaliatory response that reportedly destroyed several Afghan posts across the border .
The clash threatens to undermine a fragile ceasefire brokered in March during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which had halted weeks of deadly violence between the neighbors . Local residents strongly condemned the targeting of civilians and demanded stronger border protection .
Meanwhile, Taliban authorities in Afghanistan’s Kunar province have accused Pakistan of launching separate mortar and rocket attacks on April 27, with a Taliban deputy spokesman claiming seven civilians were killed and 85 others wounded . Pakistan’s Information Ministry dismissed these allegations as a “blatant lie,” stating that the country’s targeting remains “precise and intelligence-based” .
The latest incident highlights persistent tensions along the Durand Line, with Pakistan repeatedly accusing the Taliban government of harboring TTP militants who conduct attacks inside Pakistani territory .
