Pakistan forces answer Afghan border fire in Lower South Waziristan

Pakistani security forces responded to what local authorities described as unprovoked firing from Afghan border positions in Lower South Waziristan on Sunday, marking another escalation along a sensitive section of the frontier. The district administration said the exchange involved Pakistani checkpoints and several positions across the border.

The official account of the Lower South Waziristan deputy commissioner said firing from the Afghan side was continuing when Pakistani forces launched an immediate response. The counteraction targeted multiple border posts, mortar positions and defensive checkpoints allegedly being used during the exchange.

According to the district administration, the strength of the Pakistani response compelled Afghan Taliban personnel to leave several positions. This account had not been independently confirmed, while Afghanistan’s authorities had not immediately issued a detailed public response addressing the latest exchange.

The deputy commissioner said no casualties had been reported on the Pakistani side of the border. The administration added that security forces remained prepared to respond to further aggression. Pakistan’s military media wing had not released an official statement on the incident at the time the report was published.

The confrontation followed another exchange on Friday, when Pakistani forces responded to firing from across the frontier. Security accounts said several positions near South Waziristan and Parachinar were struck during that response. The recurring incidents have increased concerns about the risk of localised clashes developing into a broader border crisis.

Earlier in the week, firing near the Angoor Adda crossing killed one local resident and injured five members of a family. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi subsequently condemned the attack and said violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty and assaults on its citizens would not be tolerated. Islamabad also rejected an Afghan defence ministry account that portrayed Pakistan as the aggressor.

Angoor Adda is an important and particularly sensitive crossing on the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier. In addition to its security significance, the route supports trade and civilian movement between communities on both sides. Repeated closures or armed exchanges can therefore disrupt commerce, restrict travel and create hardship for residents whose livelihoods depend on cross-border activity.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated as Pakistan repeatedly demands action against militant sanctuaries it says operate from Afghan territory, particularly those associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Afghan authorities have rejected accusations that their territory is being used to organise attacks inside Pakistan, leaving the two governments divided over responsibility for the continuing violence.

The latest exchange comes as international attention increases on the dispute. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently acknowledged Pakistan’s concerns about attacks originating from Afghanistan and said Washington could play a productive role if an opportunity emerged. Immediate priorities now include preventing further firing, protecting border communities and establishing whether diplomatic channels can contain the confrontation before it escalates.