A Pakistan Army sepoy was martyred and five terrorists were reportedly killed when they opened fire on newly established army posts at the Pak-Afghan border, the Army's media wing said on Thursday.

Sepoy Muhammad Ilyas was martyred in an exchange of fire on the Pak-Afghan border on Nov 9. —Photo courtesy ISPR.
Sepoy Muhammad Ilyas was martyred in an exchange of fire on the Pak-Afghan border on Nov 9. —Photo courtesy ISPR.

"Exploiting absence of any control in Afghan border areas, terrorists fired on newly established Pakistan posts in Rajgal valley in Khyber Agency at multiple places," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release.

Five terrorists were reportedly killed and four injured during exchange of fire while Sepoy Muhammad Ilyas was martyred, according to ISPR.

The ISPR in August had announced the conclusion of Khyber-4 operation in the agency which included clearing the areas on the Pakistani side of the border.

Pakistan began fencing the Pak-Afghan border earlier this year to prevent terrorists from crossing into the country from Afghanistan.

The two countries accuse the other of harbouring their militant enemies — both deny the other's charges.

On Tuesday, during the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua maintained that terror groups are not functioning in Pakistan, but operating from across the Pak-Afghan border.

"In Afghanistan, 45 per cent of the country is not under government control, which is why the Haqqani network and other terror groups do not need a safe haven in Pakistan," she said, repeating the state's new refrain on cross-border terrorism.

Opinion

Editorial

Green tokenism
Updated 08 Jul, 2025

Green tokenism

Climate decisions must be based on facts, not politics — guided by independent science and open to public scrutiny.
Cotton decline
08 Jul, 2025

Cotton decline

PAKISTAN’S cotton economy is in a crisis. Production has fallen from a peak of 14m bales 10 years ago to 5.5m ...
Pet problems
08 Jul, 2025

Pet problems

PAKISTANIS’ obsession with exotic pets keeps ending in tragedy. Incidents like the recent lion attack in a Lahore...
No preparedness
Updated 06 Jul, 2025

No preparedness

With frequency of calamitous weather events increasing, the country cannot afford to be in denial after every tragedy.
Saarc’s future
Updated 07 Jul, 2025

Saarc’s future

South Asia’s vast potential cannot be held hostage forever by India.
PSB’s waning authority
06 Jul, 2025

PSB’s waning authority

IT has been two decades since the National Sports Policy was introduced but its implementation leaves much to be...