Pak strikes on Afghan ‘terror camps’ kill dozens; Taliban govt claims they were civilians

Dozens of civilians were reportedly killed in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Paktika provinces after Pakistan’s military launched midnight strikes on at least seven alleged terrorist hideouts, a move described as retaliation for recent rebel attacks. News of the operation surfaced early Sunday.

"Last night, they bombed our civilian compatriots in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, martyring and wounding dozens of people, including women and children," Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a post on X.

The escalation followed another attack on Saturday in the Bannu area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where a suicide bomber killed an army lieutenant colonel and a soldier.

Islamabad cites cross-border links

In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said it possessed conclusive evidence linking a string of recent attacks to Khwarij elements operating under the direction of leaders and handlers based in Afghanistan. The incidents cited included an assault on a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, separate attacks in Bajaur and Bannu, and another episode in Bannu on Saturday.

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“Responsibilities for these attacks were also claimed by Afghanistan-based Pakistani Taliban belonging to Fitna al Khwarij (FAK) and their affiliates, and Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP),” the ministry said.

Call for action from Kabul

The ministry said Pakistan had repeatedly pressed the Afghan Taliban authorities to take verifiable steps to stop terrorist groups and foreign proxies from using Afghan territory to stage attacks inside Pakistan, but that Kabul “failed” to take substantive action.

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“In this backdrop, Pakistan in a retributive response, has carried out intelligence-based selective targeting of seven Terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to Pakistani Taliban of FAK and its affiliates and ISKP at the border region of Pakistan-Afghan border with precision and accuracy,” it said.

The minister added that Pakistan expects and reiterates interim Afghan government fulfil its obligations.

Doha Agreement and global role

Pakistan also expects the international community to play a positive and constructive role by urging the Taliban regime to stand by its commitments as part of the Doha Agreement to deny use of its soil against other countries; an act vital for regional and global peace and security, it stated.

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It further said that Pakistan has always strived to maintain peace and stability in the region, but at the same time, the “safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority”.

Strained ties and past clashes

Relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have deteriorated due to the alleged failure of Kabul to stop terrorists from using its soil to attack Pakistan.

Last year in October, the two sides were briefly engaged in an armed conflict in which 23 Pakistan soldiers and over 200 Afghanistan Taliban soldiers were killed, according to the Pakistan army.

(With agency inputs)