At least 36 Afghan Taliban operatives were killed and several others injured after Pakistan’s security forces delivered an “immediate and effective response” to unprovoked cross-border firing, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in the wee hours of Friday. Two Pakistani soldiers were also martyred during the clashes, and three others were wounded in the clashes, the minister said on X. According to the information minister, “false and baseless propaganda is being spread by the Afghan Taliban regime and Indian social media accounts, which has no connection to reality.” “After their defeat and exposure in the field of action, the Afghan Taliban regime is resorting to lies and propaganda,” he said, adding that “Pakistan’s professional armed forces are crushing the aggressors’ intentions into dust.” Earlier today, the information ministry had said that the Afghan Taliban had opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations across the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was being given an “immediate and effective response”. The exchange of fire took place in the Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors, where Pakistani forces targeted hostile positions. Read More: Pakistan carries out strikes along Afghan border to target ‘seven terrorist camps’ “Early reports confirm heavy casualties on the Afghan side with multiple posts and equipment destroyed,” the ministry said, adding that Pakistan would take all necessary measures to safeguard its territorial integrity and ensure the safety of its citizens. Confirming the development, security sources said Pakistani forces carried out precision strikes during the counter-attack, destroying a Taliban check post in the Chitral sector and two Afghan posts in Bajaur’s Nawagai area. Militant hideouts were destroyed, forcing fighters to retreat, the sources said. Security officials maintained that the armed forces remain fully prepared to defend the border and respond decisively to any further aggression. Tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier have remained elevated in recent months amid concerns over cross-border militancy and recurring security incidents.