Pakistan carries out aerial strikes on militant hideouts in Afghanistan

Pakistan has carried out what the Ministry of Information described as “well-planned and calibrated” aerial strikes against militant hideouts

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has carried out what the Ministry of Information described as “well-planned and calibrated” aerial strikes against militant hideouts in Afghanistan, with initial reports indicating that 22 militants were killed.

According to the ministry, the strikes were conducted under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq as part of Pakistan’s broader counterterrorism campaign. It said the operation was based on credible intelligence and targeted camps and safe havens allegedly belonging to groups referred to by Pakistan as Fitna al-Khawarij, Fitna al-Hindustan and their affiliates.

The ministry said the targets were located at two sites in Afghanistan and were hit with precision. It added that large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored at the locations were also destroyed.

Pakistan said the strikes were carried out with the objective of targeting militant infrastructure while taking precautions to avoid civilian casualties. The ministry maintained that the security of Pakistani citizens remained the government’s foremost priority and expressed concern over what it described as the continued presence of terrorist networks in Afghanistan.

However, Afghan authorities gave a different account of the strikes. According to Reuters, Taliban authorities said Pakistani airstrikes hit residential areas in Kunar and Helmand provinces, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. The United Nations also reported civilian casualties, meaning the competing accounts could not be independently reconciled at the time of reporting.

Pakistan said its counterterrorism campaign under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, being conducted within the broader Azm-e-Istehkam framework, would continue. The government has said the campaign is aimed at eliminating what it describes as foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism.

The latest strikes come amid continuing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over cross-border militancy. Pakistan has repeatedly accused militant groups operating from Afghan territory of carrying out attacks inside Pakistan, while Afghan authorities have disputed Islamabad’s allegations.

The recent escalation follows earlier Pakistani military action against alleged militant positions in Afghanistan. Pakistan has also raised concerns over drone attacks and other security incidents that it says originated from Afghan territory.

In a separate development, Pakistani security forces reportedly killed six militants during an intelligence-based operation in Kachhi district of Balochistan, according to security sources. The operation was conducted in the Sani area under Operation Radd-ul-Fitan 3, with officials saying quadcopters were used against the militants.

Security sources said weapons and ammunition were recovered from the site and that a clearance operation was continuing to search for any remaining militants.

In North Waziristan, security forces also conducted an intelligence-based operation in which several militant hideouts and tunnels were destroyed. Officials said explosives were recovered and explosive material discovered during the search was neutralised with assistance from a bomb disposal squad.

The developments come as Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to face unresolved disputes over militant activity along their border. Islamabad has called on Kabul to prevent Afghan territory from being used for attacks against Pakistan, while the Taliban administration has rejected accusations that it shelters groups responsible for such attacks.

The latest strikes further underline the continuing security tensions between the two neighbouring countries.