Pakistan launches deadly strikes targeting militant hideouts in Afghanistan, 16 killed; Taliban vows retaliation
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the operation, saying it followed three attacks since the start of Ramadan last week.
PTC News Desk: Dozens of Afghan civilians were killed and injured after the Pakistan Air Force carried out airstrikes along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, reportedly hitting residential areas. Islamabad said the strikes targeted Afghan-based militant groups it blames for recent suicide attacks inside Pakistan.
According to the Afghan government, “dozens of people” were killed or wounded. In a post on X, Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes hit Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, killing and injuring civilians, including women and children.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the operation, saying it followed three attacks since the start of Ramadan last week. He stated that Pakistan conducted intelligence-based, selective strikes on seven camps and hideouts belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates in the border region.
Tarar also said an affiliate of the Islamic State was targeted. The group had claimed responsibility for a recent mosque attack in Islamabad that killed 31 people and injured more than 160 — one of the deadliest attacks in the capital since the 2008 Marriott Hotel bombing.
The Pakistani Army said it had repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban government to take verifiable steps to prevent Afghan territory from being used by terrorist groups and foreign proxies to launch attacks in Pakistan, but alleged that no substantive action had been taken.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated sharply since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, with both sides trading accusations amid rising border tensions and deadly clashes. The Taliban government in Kabul has denied Pakistan’s allegations that it shelters anti-Pakistan militant groups.