One civilian killed, five hurt as Afghan forces fire mortars into South Waziristan
Afghan Taliban forces fired mortars into South Waziristan overnight, killing one civilian and wounding five, Pakistani officials said. Shops in a bazaar were damaged, and Pakistani forces say they responded.
- One civilian was killed and five were wounded, according to Pakistani officials.
- Shops in Angoor Adda bazaar in South Waziristan were damaged.
- Kabul had not responded, and the cause of the exchange of fire was unclear.
Afghan Taliban forces fired mortar shells into South Waziristan, in northwestern Pakistan, killing one civilian and wounding five others, Pakistani officials said on Wednesday morning. The district lies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province along the Afghan border.
A local government administrator said on X that the shelling damaged shops in Angoor Adda bazaar, close to the border. He said Pakistani forces deployed along the frontier had responded "effectively and heavily".
Local police chief Asrar Ahmad told the German news agency dpa that clashes took place late at night in the border district. According to him, Afghan troops used artillery fire, and some mortar shells landed in populated areas, including a bazaar.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned what he called unprovoked aggression against civilian homes and the bazaar. He praised the Pakistani army's response and said the province had sacrificed thousands of lives in the war against terrorism. In his statement he said Pakistan would never tolerate attacks on its people or violations of its sovereignty.
There was no immediate reaction from Kabul, and it was not clear what set off the exchange of fire.
The clash came days after Islamabad urged Kabul to take verifiable action against militants accused of using Afghan soil to attack Pakistan. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of sheltering the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army, saying they operate from Afghan territory. The Afghan Taliban government has consistently denied allowing militants to use its soil for attacks on Pakistan.
Tensions between the two countries have risen this year after border clashes and Pakistani air strikes in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials say violence in Pakistan has increased in recent years, which they largely blame on the TTP and affiliated groups. They say these groups often target security forces and have grown more active since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Why it matters
Residents of Pakistan's border districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa face risk to life and property from cross-border shelling. The incident also adds to strain in relations with Afghanistan.
