Pakistan says 29 militants were killed in cross-border operations along the Afghanistan frontier, while Kabul alleges civilian casualties, intensifying diplomatic tensions between the two neighbours
Pakistan has conducted cross-border military operations along the Afghanistan border, claiming 29 militants were killed in intelligence-based strikes targeting militant hideouts. Afghan authorities, however, have alleged civilian casualties and condemned the operation. The incident has further strained already fragile Pakistan-Afghanistan relations amid ongoing regional security concerns.
Islamabad: Pakistan’s cross-border military operations along the Afghanistan frontier have triggered a fresh wave of tensions, with Islamabad claiming the killing of 29 militants, while Afghan authorities allege that civilians were among the dead. The conflicting accounts have raised concerns over escalating instability along the porous border.
Pakistan said the strikes were conducted as part of intelligence-based operations targeting militant networks responsible for recent attacks inside its territory. Afghanistan’s Taliban administration, however, strongly condemned the action, calling it a violation of sovereignty and alleging civilian casualties.
The operation comes at a time when both countries have been attempting to manage a fragile diplomatic engagement amid recurring border violence.
Pakistan authorities said the operation was launched in response to recent militant attacks inside the country, including an assault on a paramilitary Rangers facility in Karachi that left three personnel dead.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that security forces carried out coordinated intelligence-based ground operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
He said the strikes targeted locations in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar, which were allegedly being used by militant groups including Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistan maintained that precision strikes were used to avoid civilian harm and focused solely on militant infrastructure.
“Security forces conducted intelligence-based operations against terrorist hideouts along the border,” Pakistan’s Information Ministry stated.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan condemned the strikes, alleging that residential areas were hit and civilians were killed.
Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid described the operation as a “violation of Afghan sovereignty” and a “cowardly act of aggression.”
Afghan authorities claimed that more than 35 civilians were killed and over 100 injured, including women, children, and elderly residents. These figures have not been independently verified.
Reports from Afghan officials also alleged that a controversial “double-tap” style strike was carried out, in which a second wave of attacks allegedly followed initial strikes as rescue efforts began. Pakistan has not confirmed these allegations.
“We strongly condemn this act of aggression and consider it a crime,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said.
Pakistan linked the cross-border operation to a series of recent militant attacks inside the country, including a deadly assault on the Pakistan Rangers headquarters in Karachi.
That attack resulted in the deaths of three security personnel, with responsibility later claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, according to Pakistani security sources.
Islamabad said the border strikes were part of a broader counter-terrorism response aimed at dismantling militant infrastructure allegedly operating across the frontier.
Pakistan also said three separate targets were hit in the eastern Afghan provinces as part of the coordinated action.
Pakistan Afghanistan Border Strikes Deepen Border Tensions
The latest escalation adds to long-standing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghan territory of being used by militant groups planning attacks inside its borders. Afghanistan has consistently denied these allegations, insisting its soil is not used for cross-border militancy.
Despite earlier ceasefire agreements, sporadic violence and cross-border strikes have continued, preventing long-term stability along the frontier.
The latest operation has once again placed the fragile bilateral relationship under severe strain.
Pakistan Afghanistan Border Strikes Draw Conflicting Claims
Both governments continue to present sharply contrasting narratives regarding the outcome of the operation.
Pakistan insists the strikes were precise, intelligence-driven, and focused on militant targets, while Afghanistan maintains that civilians bore the brunt of the attack.
Independent verification of the claims remains unavailable, and the full extent of casualties and damage is yet to be confirmed by neutral observers.
The situation is expected to remain tense as diplomatic channels attempt to manage the fallout from the latest escalation.
