RAWALPINDI: Funeral prayers were offered on Monday for twelve brave sons of Pakistan who embraced martyrdom while defending the nation against the recent cross-border aggression launched by the Afghan Taliban and their allied terrorist groups, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The attack took place on the night between October 11 and 12, when Pakistan’s border posts came under heavy assault along the Pak-Afghan frontier. The soldiers of Pakistan Army fought back with extraordinary courage, repelling the offensive and inflicting massive losses on the enemy.
According to the ISPR, twenty-three soldiers laid down their lives in the line of duty while twenty-nine others sustained injuries during the operation. In a decisive counterstrike, Pakistan’s armed forces neutralized over 200 Afghan Taliban fighters and their affiliated militants, targeting their camps and training centres located inside Afghan territory.
The funeral prayers for the martyrs were held at Chaklala Garrison, Rawalpindi, attended by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, senior cabinet members, and top civil and military officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the entire nation stands indebted to the sacrifices of these heroes who defended Pakistan’s territorial integrity with their lives.
“The people of Pakistan owe an eternal debt to the martyrs who stood firm against the treacherous and cowardly aggression of the Taliban regime and its Indian-sponsored terrorist proxies,” Asif said. “Our Armed Forces remain resolute to thwart every conspiracy and aggression against Pakistan with the full support of the nation.”
The ISPR also revealed that the retaliatory operation forced the Afghan Taliban regime into panic, compelling it to seek an immediate ceasefire—mirroring the desperate appeal made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Pakistan’s swift response to Indian provocations in May this year.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office, in a separate statement, reiterated that any further provocation from across the border would be met with an “unwavering and befitting response.”
While reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace, the statement also expressed hope that Afghanistan would one day witness the rise of a truly representative government free from extremist control.
“We hope the Afghan people will soon be emancipated and governed by a government that genuinely represents them,” the statement said.
The Afghan Taliban’s aggression coincided with the visit of their acting foreign minister to India, where he reportedly sought to deepen ties with the Hindu nationalist BJP government—a move that has drawn regional concern.
Despite these hostile maneuvers, Pakistan’s armed forces once again demonstrated professional superiority and unwavering resolve, making it clear that any threat to the motherland will be crushed with full force.