Militant fire across Afghan border kills 2 Pakistan soldiers, says army

Afghan nationals walk along a fenced corridor after crossing into Pakistan through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing point in Chaman on August 28, 2021 following the Taliban's military takeover of Afghanistan. Credit: AFP Photo

Militant fire from across the border in Afghanistan killed two Pakistani soldiers on Sunday, the army said, in the first such attack since the Taliban took over Kabul ten days ago.

The army said it retaliated and killed two or three attackers.

The incident in Pakistan's Bajaur district is the first of its kind reported since the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15.

Bajaur is one of several lawless tribal regions along the Afghan border which have long sheltered militants, including an Islamist militant umbrella organisation called Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

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The army did not say which group was behind the attack but has long held that TTP leaders and fighters are sheltering in Afghanistan after fleeing the tribal districts during military operations targeting militants.

"As per intelligence reports, due to fire of Pakistan army troops, 2-3 terrorists got killed and 3-4 terrorists got injured," the military said in a statement.

"We expected that the way things were unfolding in Afghanistan, the violence can spill over in Pakistan," Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar told a news conference on Friday.

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