6 Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Militant Attack Near Afghan Border

Six Pakistan soldiers were killed after armed militants attacked a security checkpoint in the country’s northwest near the border with Afghanistan, three Pakistani security sources said on Tuesday.

The assault in the Kurram district comes as Pakistan and Afghanistan struggle to maintain a fragile ceasefire following deadly border clashes in October that left dozens dead. According to Reuters, it was the worst fighting between the two neighbors since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021.

Islamabad blames the rise in violence on militants who use Afghan territory to plan and launch cross-border attacks on Pakistani security forces. Kabul denies the allegations, insisting that Pakistan’s security problems are internal.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which sources said occurred between Monday night and early Tuesday morning.

Border tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, once close allies, have escalated since October. Frequent exchanges of fire, including heavy gunfire last Friday, have resulted in at least five deaths.

Three rounds of peace talks hosted by Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia have so far failed to produce a lasting agreement.

The mountainous border region remains a stronghold for Pakistani Taliban militants, who have been waging an insurgency against the state for nearly two decades. The Afghan Taliban maintains that there is no operational link between the two groups.