Pakistan strikes militant hideouts on Afghan border after surge in attacks

"Pakistan carried out strikes along the border with Afghanistan on Saturday night, stating it was targeting hideouts of Pakistani militants it blames for recent attacks inside the country. Islamabad did not say in precisely which areas the strikes were carried out or provide other details. There was no immediate comment from Kabul, and reports on social media suggested the strikes were carried out inside Afghanistan."

"Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, wrote on X that the military conducted intelligence-based, selective operations against seven camps belonging to the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and its affiliates. He said an affiliate of Islamic State was also targeted in the border region. In October, Pakistan also conducted strikes deep inside Afghanistan to target militant hideouts."

"Hours before the latest border strikes, another suicide bomber targeted a security convoy in the nearby Bannu district in the north-west, killing two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel. After Saturday's violence, Pakistan's military warned it would not exercise any restraint and operations against those responsible would continue irrespective of their location, language that suggested rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul."

Pakistan carried out strikes along the border with Afghanistan targeting hideouts of Pakistani militants blamed for recent attacks inside Pakistan. The government did not specify exact strike locations, and there was no immediate comment from Kabul, while social media reports suggested the strikes occurred inside Afghanistan. Information minister Attaullah Tarar said the military conducted intelligence-based selective operations against seven camps of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliates, and targeted an Islamic State affiliate. The strikes follow deadly attacks including a vehicle-borne suicide blast in Bajaur that killed 11 soldiers and a child, and a separate suicide attack in Bannu that killed two soldiers. Pakistan's military vowed to continue operations irrespective of location.

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