Pakistan-Afghanistan Border: Pakistan Launches Airstrikes and Ground Operation
Pakistan says it targeted militant hideouts along the Afghan border after recent attacks, while Afghanistan’s Taliban government says the operation killed civilians and violated its sovereignty
Security tensions escalate along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border following cross-border military operations.
Pakistan-Afghanistan Border: Pakistan launched airstrikes and a ground operation in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, saying it targeted militant hideouts in response to recent terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. Afghanistan’s Taliban government condemned the operation, calling it a violation of its sovereignty and alleging that civilians were among the casualties.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said security forces killed 29 militants during intelligence-based operations and precision strikes targeting alleged militant camps in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces.
According to Tarar, the operation followed a series of recent terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the attack on a Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) camp in Karachi.
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The Taliban administration, however, rejected Pakistan’s account and claimed the strikes hit civilian homes. Taliban officials said at least 100 people were killed or injured, including civilians, although the casualty figures could not be independently verified.
Taliban authorities said the heaviest casualties occurred in Mandikhel, a village in Paktika Province.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of allowing militant groups to use its territory to launch attacks across the border. The Taliban government has consistently denied those allegations and has accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks that endanger civilians.
The latest escalation comes one day after a suicide attack on the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) headquarters in Karachi killed three Rangers personnel. Pakistani authorities said security forces also killed three attackers and arrested another suspect, whom officials identified as an Afghan national.
The banned militant group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the Karachi attack.
Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a ceasefire in October last year following weeks of deadly border clashes. However, the truce has largely collapsed, and cross-border violence has continued in recent months.
Earlier this year, clashes between the two countries left dozens dead. Pakistan also carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan in June, saying it had killed militants, while Taliban officials reported civilian casualties, including children.
The latest operation highlights the continuing security tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where both governments continue to exchange accusations over cross-border militancy and responsibility for escalating violence.
