In a retaliatory military operation, Pakistan launched targeted strikes on at least seven terrorist hideouts across Afghanistan early Sunday morning, following a series of recent rebel attacks. The action aims to curb terrorism emanating from Afghan territory, Islamabad confirmed.
According to the Afghan government, the strikes resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens of civilians, including women and children. Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated on X (formerly Twitter), “Last night, they bombed our civilian compatriots in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, martyring and wounding dozens of people.”
The recent escalation comes after a deadly terrorist incident in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. On Saturday, an army lieutenant colonel and a soldier were killed in a suicide attack in Bannu.
The Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asserted that Pakistan possesses conclusive evidence linking recent terrorist acts—including attacks on a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, and incidents in Bajaur and Bannu—to terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan. These include the Pakistani Taliban’s faction, Fitna al Khwarij (FAK), and the Islamic State of Khurasan Province (ISKP).
Despite Pakistan’s repeated appeals to the Afghan Taliban regime to take effective action against terrorist sanctuaries within Afghanistan, Islamabad claims that Kabul has failed to prevent their use of Afghan soil for attacks against Pakistan.
In response, Pakistan conducted what it described as “intelligence-based, selective targeting” of terrorist camps along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, aiming to dismantle the threat posed by these groups. The operation was carried out with precision and accuracy.
Pakistan has called on the interim Afghan government to fulfill its commitments under the Doha Agreement and urged the international community to pressure the Taliban regime to prevent its territory from being used for terrorism. The country emphasizes that maintaining regional peace and security remains a top priority, alongside protecting its citizens.
Relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have strained over allegations that Kabul has not effectively stopped terrorist groups from operating within its borders. Last October, tensions escalated into armed conflict, resulting in the deaths of 23 Pakistani soldiers and over 200 Taliban fighters, according to Pakistan’s military.
