Viral image of Afghan Taliban attack on Pakistan’s Torkham border crossing

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team reviewed this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan analysed the image critically and used image manipulation tools to detect any tampering.

Posts from multiple users, including Afghan activists, on social media platform X shared an image on October 15, 2025, claiming it showed Pakistan’s side of the Torkham border crossing run over after intrusion by Afghan Taliban troops. However, the photo is AI-generated.

Islamabad and Kabul engaged in cross-border firing on Oct 12, resulting in the martyrdom of 23 Pakistani troops and the deaths of 200 Taliban fighters, including terrorists affiliated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Both countries claimed to have destroyed the border posts of the other side.

The clashes flared up once again on the night of Oct 14, with an exchange of fire reported in the Kurram district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The next day, Pakistan carried out an air strike on the Afghan border province of Kandahar and hit the town of Spin Boldak, officials in both countries said.

Each side accused the other of launching ground attacks. Pakistani security officials said the air strike had targeted a brigade of Afghan Taliban troops and that dozens were killed. On the other hand, Enayatullah Khowarazmi, Afghanistan’s defence ministry spokesperson, said residential areas of Spin Boldak were hit.

Later the same day, both countries agreed to a ceasefire “for the next 48 hours from 6pm [today]”.

HOW IT STARTED

On Oct 15, an Afghan user shared an image on X showing a view of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Torkham border crossing. In the photo, the crossing site can be seen to have sustained severe damage.

“At Torkham, Pakistan’s gate on the Durand Line was targeted with heavy weapons,” said the caption of the post. It garnered 27,300 views and about 1,000 likes.

The same image was also shared by another Afghan user, who calls himself a social activist in his X bio, with the caption: “The Afghan forces have completely overrun the Pakistan checkpoint gate and have entered Pakistan. The Baloch army has also arrived. The Pakistani army can no longer retreat; they are being attacked from the front by Afghan forces and from the rear by the Baloch army.”

His post gathered 197,800 views, 5,600 likes and was shared 1,000 times.

The image and claim were soon also posted by other social media accounts, including Indian users, as can be seen here, here, here, here and here. They collectively amassed 36,353 views.

The viral photo was also used in a news article by the Aalimi News Network, a television news channel in occupied Kashmir, dated Oct 15. “Pakistan government planning to ‘dismantle’ Afghan government, sources say — Kabul reports deadly airstrikes,” the title of the report read.

Asia Net News Hindi, a local Indian website, also used the image in its news report published on Oct 15 with the headline “Taliban captures Pakistani Army tank, destroys outpost, kills dozens of soldiers”. However, it did not provide any image credits in the article.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the security situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Observing the image closely revealed visual inconsistencies. Firstly, the archway and upper brick structure in the viral photo have visibly uneven and misaligned edges — a common feature in AI-generated photos. Similarly, the metal gates in the foreground bend in unnatural and inconsistent directions.

Secondly, the text on the archway appears illegible and lacks the proper calligraphic form, which is again a sign of the use of AI as text, especially one in Urdu, remains a weakness in generative imagery.

Additionally, one of the flags seems to be oddly folded into the rubble without proper shadowing.

Analysing the image through verification tools for potential manipulation showed that MyDetector, HitPaw and Undetectable flagged the photo as fake and likely created using artificial intelligence.

A reverse image search to corroborate whether it was from an actual incident yielded no results from credible local, international or Afghan media outlets that shared the visual.

Moreover, when investigated further, a keyword search to further check whether any such incident and destruction had occurred in the first place at the Torkham crossing also did not yield any news reports from credible local, international or Afghan media outlets.

As per an Oct 13 report from Dawn titled, “Fierce clashes along Afghan border take heavy toll”, the border crossing was closed since the violence that broke out on Oct 12.

“Officials from both sides of the border told AFP that crossings at Torkham and Chaman were closed following the clashes. A senior official in Torkham told AFP extra paramilitary troops had been sent to the area,” the report said, adding that security forces were in control of the point and all civilians were pulled back.

When contacted for comment, a resident who lives very close to the border point confirmed to Dawn reporter Ibrahim Shinwari that no fighting had taken place at Torkham.

The same was also confirmed by security sources when reached out for corroboration by Dawn correspondent Arif Hayat.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral image shows an Afghan Taliban attack on Pakistan’s Torkham border crossing is fake.

The image is generated through AI, and no such attack has occurred.

Evidence and References

Dawn report, Oct 13: https://www.dawn.com/news/1948523