Security forces retaliate after Afghan Taliban firing kills civilian in South Waziristan

ISLAMABAD: A civilian was killed and five members of the same family were injured after a mortar shell struck a house in South Waziristan’s Angoor Adda area, Pakistani officials said, as security forces responded by destroying several Afghan Taliban check posts.

According to security sources cited by state-run Radio Pakistan, the shell hit a home in a civilian area. South Waziristan’s deputy commissioner also confirmed that one person was killed and five were injured in what he described as unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban regime.

The deputy commissioner said the Angoor Adda bazaar and civilian homes were targeted on the night of October 27. The firing also damaged several shops, he said, adding that Pakistani forces were carrying out an effective response along the border.

Afghan Taliban Regime fired unprovoked on civilian houses & Angoor Adda Bazar, South Waziristan (Lower), night of 27 Oct. One civilian killed, five injured by a mortar round, many shops damaged.

Pakistan Forces on the border have and are responding effectively and heavily.

— Deputy Commissioner South Waziristan Lower (@dcswlower) October 27, 2026

Security sources said the Pakistan Army responded promptly and destroyed several Afghan check posts. They added that local residents were angry over the targeting of civilians.

KP governor condemns attack

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi strongly condemned what he described as the “unprovoked and blatant aggression” by the Afghan Taliban regime against civilian homes and the Angoor Adda Bazaar in Lower South Waziristan.

He praised the Pakistan Armed Forces for their “swift, forceful and decisive response”, saying Pakistan would not tolerate attacks on its people or violations of its sovereignty.

“Strongly condemn the unprovoked and blatant aggression by the Afghan Taliban regime against civilian homes and Angoor Adda Bazaar in Lower South Waziristan. I salute the Pakistan Armed Forces for their swift, forceful and decisive response. Let the Afghan Taliban regime have no illusions: Pakistan will never tolerate attacks on its people or violations of its sovereignty. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has sacrificed thousands of lives in the fight against terrorism, and we will not allow anyone to threaten our people or undermine our security. Any aggression against Pakistan will be confronted with unwavering resolve. Our armed forces have the full backing of the nation to defend every inch of our soil, and no threat or hostile act will weaken our determination to protect Pakistan.”

Faisal Karim Kundi
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

— Office of Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (@Governor_KP) October 27, 2026

“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has sacrificed thousands of lives in the fight against terrorism, and we will not allow anyone to threaten our people or undermine our security,” Kundi said.

A highly condemnable act!

— Advisor for Information (@AdvForInfo) October 27, 2026

He added that any aggression against Pakistan would be met with “unwavering resolve” and said the armed forces had the full backing of the nation to defend the country’s territory.

Cross-border tensions

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated in recent months amid Islamabad’s accusations that Kabul is sheltering militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban government has denied the allegations.

Pakistan has carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, saying it targeted militant hideouts. Kabul has condemned the strikes as violations of its sovereignty.

Islamabad has said it remains willing to engage in dialogue, provided Kabul acknowledges militant activity originating from Afghan territory and agrees to a verifiable mechanism to prevent it.

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said last week that Pakistan was not opposed to negotiations and had been in talks with Kabul since 2021. He said disputes could be resolved through dialogue, but any engagement must produce concrete results, particularly on cross-border terrorism.

Khan said Afghanistan would need to provide assurances that a verifiable mechanism would be established to control and eliminate terrorist activity originating from its territory. Pakistan remained prepared for diplomacy, he added, but dialogue without progress on its security concerns would serve little purpose.

Previous infiltration attempts

The latest incident follows reported attempts to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in recent weeks.

On October 11, security forces foiled an infiltration attempt near the border in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing 12 militants, according to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). ISPR said Afghan Taliban posts also opened fire to support the attempted infiltration. A Pakistan Army naib subedar, Hidayat Aman, was martyred in the exchange of fire.

On September 25, law enforcement agencies also thwarted what security sources described as an act of aggression and an infiltration attempt by Afghan Taliban forces in the Chaman sector. The sources said Pakistani security forces responded to the firing and targeted several Afghan Taliban posts with quadcopters and mortar fire, killing several Taliban personnel.

Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns about militant groups using Afghan territory to launch attacks across the border, while Kabul has rejected Islamabad’s accusations.