Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir met President Asif Ali Zardari at the Presidency on Wednesday to discuss Pakistan’s internal and external security situation amid heightened border tensions with Afghanistan.
According to a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat, Field Marshal Munir briefed the president on the evolving security environment, particularly the recent “aggressive and provocative actions” by the Afghan Taliban regime. The army chief also outlined the response by Pakistan’s armed forces to ongoing cross-border attacks.
The meeting followed fresh clashes earlier on Wednesday along the Balochistan border, where Pakistani forces repelled an assault by Taliban fighters, reportedly killing between 15 and 20 militants, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. This was the third major confrontation in a week, after similar incidents in Kurram and other frontier regions since Saturday night.
President Zardari expressed full confidence in the military’s “strength, valour, and preparedness” to defend the country’s sovereignty. He commended the armed forces for their “vigilance and professionalism” in safeguarding national frontiers and swiftly countering cross-border attacks.
ISPR confirmed that 23 Pakistani troops were martyred and 29 were injured during the weekend clashes, which began when Taliban fighters attacked several military posts. The military’s assessment indicated that over 200 Taliban and affiliated militants were “neutralised” in subsequent operations.
Kabul has claimed that its attacks were in retaliation for alleged Pakistani air strikes inside Afghan territory last week, though Islamabad has not confirmed any such action. Pakistan maintains that it reserves the right to respond to attacks on its sovereignty and has repeatedly urged Afghanistan to prevent terrorist groups from using its soil against Pakistan, a long-standing source of tension between the two neighbours.