Pakistan Conducts Border Strikes Targeting Militant Hideouts After Recent Attacks
Pakistan carried out targeted strikes along its border with Afghanistan on Saturday night, aiming at hideouts of Pakistani militants blamed for a recent surge in attacks inside the country. The information ministry described these as "intelligence-based, selective operations" against seven camps belonging to the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and its affiliates, with an Islamic State affiliate also targeted in the region.
Details of the Military Operations
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated on social media that the military conducted these operations in response to escalating violence. Islamabad did not specify the exact locations of the strikes, but reports on social media suggested they occurred inside Afghanistan. There was no immediate comment from Kabul regarding the incidents.
Tarar emphasized that Pakistan "has always strived to maintain peace and stability in the region," but added that the safety and security of Pakistani citizens remain a top priority. This action follows a similar strike in October, when Pakistan targeted militant hideouts deep inside Afghanistan.
Background of Recent Violence
The latest development comes days after a suicide bomber, supported by gunmen, rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a security post in Bajaur district in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan. The blast caused part of the compound to collapse, killing 11 soldiers and a child, with authorities later identifying the attacker as an Afghan national.
Hours before the border strikes, another suicide bomber targeted a security convoy in the nearby Bannu district in the north-west, killing two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel. After Saturday's violence, Pakistan's military warned it would not "exercise any restraint" and that operations against those responsible would continue "irrespective of their location," indicating rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
Accusations and International Appeals
Tarar claimed Pakistan has "conclusive evidence" that recent attacks, including a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad earlier this month that killed 31 worshippers, were carried out by militants acting on the "behest of their Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers." He alleged that Pakistan has repeatedly urged Afghanistan's Taliban rulers to take verifiable steps to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks in Pakistan, but no substantive action has been taken.
He called on the international community to pressure Afghanistan's Taliban authorities to uphold their commitments under the Doha agreement, which includes not allowing their soil to be used against other countries.
Ongoing Tensions and Militant Violence
Pakistan has experienced a significant increase in militant violence in recent years, largely attributed to the TTP and outlawed Baloch separatist groups. The TTP is separate from but closely allied with Afghanistan's Taliban, who regained power in 2021. Islamabad accuses the TTP of operating from inside Afghanistan, a charge both the group and Kabul deny.
Relations between the neighboring countries have remained tense since October, when deadly border clashes resulted in dozens of casualties among soldiers, civilians, and suspected militants. This violence followed explosions in Kabul that Afghan officials blamed on Pakistan. A Qatar-mediated ceasefire has largely held, but talks in Istanbul failed to produce a formal agreement, leaving relations strained.
