Pakistan has carried out multiple airstrikes on militant hideouts in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktika and Nangarhar provinces in a major cross‑border operation targeting groups it blames for recent deadly attacks inside its own territory.
According to statements from Islamabad the air strikes were intelligence‑based and precisely targeted at seven camps and hideouts linked to the Pakistani Taliban and affiliated militant networks including elements connected to the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province.
Pakistani jets struck positions in the Barmal district of Paktika province and repeatedly hit suspected militant infrastructure in several areas of Nangarhar province including Khogyani Ghani Khel and Behsud districts.
Officials in Islamabad say the operation was a direct response to a series of suicide attacks and militant incidents inside Pakistan and that it forms part of an ongoing counter‑terrorism campaign to prevent armed groups from using Afghan territory as a base.
But the strikes have drawn sharp condemnation from Afghan authorities who accuse Pakistan of violating their sovereignty and say dozens of civilians including women and children were killed or wounded in the bombardment. Kabul’s interim government has labelled the air operations a clear act of aggression and warned it will respond appropriately.
The air raids come amid persistent tensions along the Afghanistan Pakistan border where militant networks have long operated across the frontier and where both sides have accused each other of failing to stem extremist violence.
Regional analysts warn that such cross‑border military actions risk further destabilizing an already fragile security environment potentially drawing both nations into deeper confrontation unless diplomatic and security measures can reduce hostilities and address the militant threat.
