Pakistan Says 22 Militants Killed in Airstrikes on Afghanistan
Pakistan says it carried out airstrikes against militant hideouts at two locations in Afghanistan on Thursday, with the Ministry of Information reporting that initial assessments indicated 22 militants were killed.
According to the ministry, the strikes were conducted under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq after intelligence indicated the presence of militant camps and hideouts linked to groups Pakistan refers to as Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan.
The ministry said the targets were selected on the basis of intelligence and that weapons and ammunition stored at the sites were also destroyed. It added that precautions were taken to avoid civilian casualties.
Pakistan has described the operation as part of its wider counterterrorism campaign and said it remains focused on preventing militant networks from carrying out attacks inside the country.
Afghanistan Gives Different Account
Afghan authorities have provided a different account of the strikes.
According to Reuters, the Taliban government said the attacks hit houses in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces, killing nine people and injuring 11 others. It said women and children were among those killed. Reuters reported that the competing casualty claims could not be independently verified.
The differing accounts come amid continued tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over cross-border militancy.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused militant groups of using Afghan territory to plan or support attacks inside Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban government has rejected the accusation and maintains that militancy inside Pakistan is an internal issue.
Earlier Cross-Border Strikes
The latest action follows Pakistani aerial and drone strikes reported last week. Pakistan said those strikes targeted locations used by militants for launching and storing drones after several drones entered Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan.
The two countries have continued to exchange allegations over militant activity and cross-border security concerns despite previous efforts to reduce tensions.
Separate Operations in Pakistan
Meanwhile, Pakistani security forces also conducted counterterrorism operations in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Security sources said six militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation in the Sani area of Kachhi district, Balochistan. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered, according to the sources.
In North Waziristan, security forces carried out another intelligence-based operation targeting militant hideouts and tunnels. Officials said explosives were recovered and explosive material discovered during the search was neutralised with assistance from a bomb disposal team.
The latest developments come as Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to face tensions over militant activity along their shared border. The casualty figures and circumstances surrounding the latest airstrikes remain disputed between the two sides.
