- Pakistan raises cross-border terror attacks with Afghan Taliban in first round of key Doha dialogue
- Defence Minister Asif leads Pakistan’s side while Mullah Yaqoob heads Afghan side
- Islamabad demands action against TTP, Gul Bahadur network operating from Afghan soil
- Pakistan launches precision strikes on verified militant camps after fresh border attacks
- Bannu police foil rickshaw bombing; three attackers killed in late-night raid
DOHA/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged the Afghan interim government to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries operating from its soil, as the first round of crucial security talks between the two sides concluded in Doha on Saturday, amid heightened border tensions and escalating militant attacks. The second round of discussions is scheduled for Sunday (tomorrow).
The Pakistani delegation—led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and including National Security Adviser Lt Gen Asim Malik and other senior officials—raised strong concerns over cross-border terrorist attacks emanating from Afghanistan. The Afghan side was headed by Acting Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob, accompanied by Taliban Intelligence Chief Mawlawi Abdul Haq and senior representatives.
According to officials familiar with the talks, Islamabad presented a “single-point agenda” focused squarely on the dismantling of terrorist networks, particularly those affiliated with the Gul Bahadur faction and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Pakistan blames for recent deadly attacks inside its territory.
“Pakistan has made it clear that the Afghan government must eliminate terrorist organisations and their hideouts,” a senior official said, describing the discussions as “direct, firm, and security-centric.”
The Doha dialogue marks one of the most significant diplomatic engagements between Islamabad and Kabul in recent months, following weeks of border clashes that have left dozens dead on both sides. Sources said the next round of talks will continue tomorrow, with deliberations expected on mechanisms for cross-border coordination and intelligence-sharing.
Verified Gul Bahadur camps targeted
Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Pakistan had struck verified camps of the outlawed Gul Bahadur group in border areas of North and South Waziristan during precision operations along the Pak-Afghan frontier.
In a post on X, Tarar said that during a 48-hour ceasefire, terrorists operating from Afghan soil made multiple infiltration attempts, all of which were effectively repelled by Pakistani security forces.
Pakistan struck verified camps of Kharji Gul Bahadur in border areas of North and South Waziristan districts along Pak-Afghan border.
During 48 hours-long ceasefire, Kharjis operating from Afghanistan, attempted to launch multiple terrorists attacks inside Pakistan which were…— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) October 18, 2025
“During the effective responses by security forces, more than 100 kharjis were sent to hell,” he said, using the state’s term for militants.
He added that terrorists carried out an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in North Waziristan, martyring a soldier and several civilians and injuring others.
“Against kharjis of the Gul Bahadur Group, precision strikes were undertaken last night. Based on confirmed intelligence reports, 60–70 kharjis and their leadership were eliminated,” Tarar said.
Rejecting allegations of civilian casualties, the minister said, “All assertions about targeting civilians are false and aimed at generating sympathy for terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil.”
He stressed that Pakistan remains committed to resolving the issue through dialogue but retains the right to safeguard its territorial integrity and citizens.
“Pakistan sincerely believes that the way forward lies in addressing Indian-sponsored terrorism emanating from Afghan soil through talks and by ensuring Afghan control over non-state actors. However, Pakistan will not allow terrorists to live in peace across the border,” Tarar added.
Fresh precision strikes after ceasefire extension
On Friday, Pakistan once again targeted terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, conducting precision strikes across Urgun and Barmal districts, hours after the two countries had extended a temporary ceasefire.
The renewed action followed an attack on a military installation in North Waziristan earlier in the week and coincided with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announcing its withdrawal from a T20 tri-nation series in Pakistan, alleging the killing of three Afghan cricketers in the strikes — a claim Islamabad has firmly denied.
Security officials said the two-day ceasefire, initially announced on Wednesday and largely observed without violations, had been mutually extended until the end of the Doha talks. However, the fresh exchanges briefly overshadowed the fragile truce.
Earlier, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan reiterated that Afghanistan had become a “central breeding ground for global terrorism.”
“We do not have to wait for a large-scale disaster before taking remedial action. This fire will spread if left unchecked,” Khan warned at a weekly briefing in Islamabad.
A high-level delegation from Pakistan, led by our Minister of Defence, will hold discussions with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Doha today. The talks will focus on immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore…
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 18, 2025
The initial Doha round was made possible after mediation efforts by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, who persuaded both sides to halt hostilities. The talks, originally slated for Thursday or Friday, were delayed due to logistical issues and hesitation within the Taliban leadership.
Key terrorist ringleaders eliminated
According to security sources, the Kharji Gul Bahadur group—blamed for numerous attacks on Pakistani soil—suffered significant losses in precision strikes conducted on the night of Oct 17, which killed several senior commanders.
Among those eliminated were Farman, alias Al-Karama; Sadiqullah Dawar; Ghazi Madakhel; Muqarrab; Qismatullah; Gulab alias Deewana; Rehmani; Adil and Fazlur Rehman, a close relative of Gul Bahadur himself.
Additional ringleaders Ashiqullah alias Kausar and Younas were also killed, marking what officials described as a “major operational success” in Pakistan’s ongoing counterterrorism drive.
Security officials said the group had also attempted a vehicle-borne IED attack on Oct 17 in Khadi, North Waziristan, killing three women, two children, and a soldier before being foiled.
Border tensions escalate after Afghan firing
Tensions along the Pak-Afghan border surged last week after unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces at multiple locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, prompting a swift and forceful response from the Pakistan Army, which destroyed several Afghan posts and inflicted heavy casualties.
The coordinated assault originated across key sectors including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral, and Baramcha. Security officials said the firing was aimed at facilitating infiltration by the banned TTP, referred to by Islamabad as the “Fitna al-Khawarij.”
“The Pakistan Army responded immediately and decisively,” a security source said. “The counteroffensive destroyed multiple Afghan posts and killed dozens of Afghan soldiers and Khawarij.”
Over 200 Afghan Taliban killed
In a separate statement earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that Pakistan’s security forces had killed more than 200 Afghan Taliban in overnight clashes along the border, while 23 Pakistani soldiers embraced martyrdom.
According to the ISPR, the confrontation occurred on the night of October 11–12, when Afghan Taliban forces, “supported by Indian-sponsored elements of Fitna al-Khawarij,” launched an unprovoked assault on Pakistani border positions.
“The cowardly action, which included direct fire and physical raids, was aimed at destabilizing border areas to facilitate terrorism,” the statement read.
It said Pakistani forces exercised the right to self-defense, responding with precision strikes and physical raids against Taliban posts, training camps, and support networks linked to TTP, ISKP/Daesh, and Fitna al-Hindustan (FAH).
“All possible measures were taken to avoid collateral damage and protect civilian lives,” the ISPR emphasized.
Bannu police thwart attack, kills three terrorists
Separately, Bannu police foiled a terrorist attack late Friday night, killing three militants who attempted to target the Mazanga police checkpost using a rickshaw laden with explosives.
Police said the terrorists, belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij, were intercepted after refusing to stop for inspection, triggering a firefight that caused the rickshaw to explode. No police personnel were injured, though nearby houses sustained minor damage.
Bannu DIG Sajjad Khan and DPO Saleem Abbas Kalachi praised the “prompt and courageous response” of the officers and announced cash rewards and commendation certificates.
“The policemen set an exemplary standard of duty, bravery, and professionalism,” the DIG said.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp surge in terrorist violence in recent months, particularly in KP and Balochistan, following the TTP’s breakdown of its 2022 ceasefire with the government. On Thursday, the military reported killing 34 “India-backed” terrorists during multiple operations across the northwest over three days.
As Islamabad and Kabul prepare for the second round of Doha talks on Sunday, officials say Pakistan’s message remains firm: Afghanistan must act decisively against terrorists using its soil—or face the consequences of continued instability along one of the world’s most volatile frontiers.
