Pakistan conducts cross-border strikes in Afghanistan after deadly suicide attacks

Pakistan said early Sunday that it carried out cross-border strikes targeting suspected militant hideouts along the Afghanistan frontier, blaming them for a recent surge in deadly attacks inside the country.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the military conducted “intelligence-based, selective operations” against seven camps belonging to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates. He added that an affiliate of the Islamic State group was also among the targets.

While Islamabad did not disclose the exact locations of the strikes, Afghan media reports indicated that the operations took place inside Afghan territory. Tolo News reported that Pakistani Air Force jets struck a religious seminary in the Bermal district of Paktika province and carried out airstrikes in the Khogyani district of Nangarhar province. Additional strikes were reported in Argun, Bahsod and Ghani Khel districts.

Afghan officials said dozens of people, including women and children, were killed in two provinces bordering Pakistan. Although no official casualty figure was released, local reports suggested that at least 17 members of the same family were among the victims.

According to Pakistan’s Geo News, the action was conducted “with precision and accuracy” in response to recent suicide attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur and Bannu. Earlier this week, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a security post in Bajaur, killing 11 soldiers and a child. Another attack in Bannu claimed the lives of two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel.

Pakistan’s military said it would not “exercise any restraint” against those responsible for the attacks, alleging that recent violence was orchestrated by Afghanistan-based handlers. Kabul, however, has denied allowing its territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan, as tensions between the two neighbouring countries continue to escalate.