In a statement posted on X by Pakistan’s Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, said Taliban forces “miscalculated” by initiating cross-border firing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, prompting immediate retaliation.

According to security sources cited by state media, exchanges of fire took place across several sectors, including Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur.

Pakistani forces reportedly targeted and destroyed Taliban check posts and hideouts in the Arandu sector of Chitral, Nawagai in Bajaur, Tirah in Khyber, and parts of Mohmand district.

“Pakistan’s security forces are fully prepared to protect the border and give a strong and immediate response against any kind of aggression,” an official said.

Security sources claimed that at least 36 Afghan Taliban personnel were killed in the retaliatory strikes, with multiple posts and equipment destroyed. While two Pakistani soldier lost their lives and three other injured.

Pakistan also said Taliban fighters attempted to target its check posts using quadcopters, but all drones were shot down before causing damage.

Officials further stated that Pakistan’s response included shelling with small and heavy weapons, as well as “selective targeting” of Taliban positions through aerial drones.

Meanwhile, at least one civilian woman was killed and five other people, including children, were injured when Afghan Taliban forces fired shells that struck residential houses in the Lagharai area of Bajaur district near the Afghan border in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Earlier, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban regime in Kabul, said Taliban forces had initiated firing at Pakistani check posts in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, claiming they were responding to Pakistani positions along the border.

In a video message, a Taliban commander said that they began attacks on Pakistani check posts at border areas in Nangarhar and Kunar in response to the Pakistani recent airstrikes targeted TTP hideouts in Nangarhar and Paktika.

Pakistani security officials also accused Taliban-linked media outlets and social media accounts of circulating “false claims and fake videos” related to the clashes, describing it as an attempt to shape the narrative of the confrontation.

Islamabad reiterated that it “will take all necessary measures” to safeguard its territorial integrity and ensure the safety of its citizens, signaling that further escalation cannot be ruled out if hostilities continue.