Pakistan carried out airstrikes early Sunday along its border with Afghanistan, targeting what officials described as militant hideouts. The government said the action was taken in response to recent deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the military conducted “intelligence-based and selective operations.” According to him, seven camps linked to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were targeted. The TTP is a Pakistani militant group that has claimed responsibility for many attacks in the country.
Tarar also said that a group connected to Islamic State was among those targeted in the border region. Pakistan has previously carried out similar strikes. In October last year, the country launched operations deep inside Afghanistan to hit militant bases.
Recent suicide bombings
The airstrikes came just days after a deadly suicide bombing in Bajaur district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. An attacker drove an explosives-filled vehicle into a security post, killing 11 soldiers and one child. Authorities later claimed the attacker was an Afghan national.
In a separate attack in Bannu district, another suicide bomber targeted a security convoy, killing two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel. Following these attacks, Pakistan’s military warned that it would continue operations against those responsible, no matter where they were located.
Pakistan blames Afghan-based leadership
Tarar said Pakistan has “clear evidence” that recent attacks, including a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad that killed 31 worshippers, were planned by militants operating from Afghanistan. He added that Pakistan has repeatedly asked Afghanistan’s Taliban government to prevent its territory from being used for attacks against Pakistan. According to him, no strong action has been taken so far.
Pakistan has also urged the international community to pressure Afghan authorities to follow their commitments under the Doha agreement, which says Afghan soil should not be used to threaten other countries. Militant violence has increased in Pakistan in recent years. Much of the violence has been blamed on the TTP and other armed groups.
The TTP is separate from Afghanistan’s Taliban but is believed to have close ties with them. Both the TTP and Afghan officials deny that the group operates from Afghan soil.
