Security forces have killed three Afghan Taliban fighters, including the TTA’s notorious commander Qahraman, during a cross-border engagement along the Pak–Afghan frontier at Torkham, according to security sources.
The exchange occurred near the border belt of Landi Kotal, where Pakistani forces employed precision artillery to target fortified Taliban positions across the line. Sources said the strikes were launched after intelligence indicated imminent facilitation of cross-border infiltration. Afghan Taliban authorities have confirmed the deaths, including that of Commander Qahraman.
Officials describe Qahraman as a key facilitator for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, allegedly coordinating safe passage, logistics support and staging arrangements for militants attempting to infiltrate into Khyber district and adjoining areas. He is also believed to have been linked to multiple attacks inside Pakistan, including assaults on security convoys and border installations.
Security officials stated that the artillery engagement was “measured and location-specific,” aimed at dismantling forward operating posts used to provide covering fire and movement corridors for infiltrators. Initial assessments suggest that several makeshift bunkers and ammunition caches were destroyed in the exchange.
The Torkham crossing, one of the most strategically sensitive transit points between the two countries, has witnessed intermittent flare-ups in recent months amid heightened tensions over cross-border militancy. While commercial traffic reportedly remained suspended during the exchange, no civilian casualties have been reported from the Pakistani side.
Follow-up surveillance and ground monitoring operations are said to be ongoing to prevent retaliatory infiltration attempts. Authorities in Khyber district have also reinforced checkpoints and heightened aerial reconnaissance along vulnerable stretches of the frontier.
Operation Ghazab Lil Haqq, launched to counter militant networks operating along the western border, continues with a focus on disrupting facilitation chains rather than holding territory. Officials maintain that the objective remains neutralization of cross-border threats while avoiding escalation beyond tactical engagements.
Along this rugged frontier, artillery does more than fire shells, it redraws deterrence lines. Whether this latest strike reshapes the security calculus or deepens the cycle of response will depend on what follows in the coming days.
