Pakistan has once again claimed to have carried out military operations near the Afghanistan border, saying it targeted militant hideouts after a recent attack on its security forces. Islamabad says 35 people were killed during the operation, while Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected Pakistan’s allegations that militants operate from its territory. Pakistan Claims Cross-Border Strikes Near Afghanistan After Karachi Attack

Pakistan Says 35 Killed in Military Operation

Pakistan has claimed that it carried out a military operation near the Afghanistan border, saying it targeted militant hideouts in response to increasing attacks on its security forces.

According to the Pakistani government, security forces first launched a ground operation based on intelligence inputs. This was followed by what it described as “calibrated” air strikes on militant positions close to the Afghanistan border. Pakistan claims that a total of 35 people were killed during the operation.

The military action came just a day after a major militant attack on the Pakistan Rangers’ regional headquarters in Karachi. Reports also suggest this is Pakistan’s fourth cross-border strike in the past month. Earlier, on June 10, a similar strike reportedly killed 26 people.

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Information Minister Explains the Operation

Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, said in a post on X that the operation was launched in response to the recent rise in attacks on security forces across the country.

He said Pakistan would not compromise on its national security and would continue taking action against militant groups.

Operation Followed Karachi Rangers Headquarters Attack

On Saturday, heavily armed militants attacked the Pakistan Rangers’ regional headquarters in Karachi using weapons and explosives. Three Pakistani soldiers were killed in the attack. During the counter-operation, security forces killed three attackers and arrested another suspect who was injured.

According to the Pakistani military, the arrested suspect is an Afghan national. The attack was claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a group linked to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

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Which Locations Were Targeted?

Pakistan said the operation began with an intelligence-based ground raid in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. During the raid, security forces claimed to have killed four militants, including a senior commander identified as “Khan Farosh”.

Pakistan later carried out strikes on alleged hideouts linked to Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) near the Afghanistan border. Islamabad claimed that three militant camps located in Afghanistan’s Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces were destroyed. It also claimed that 25 militants were killed and a large quantity of weapons and ammunition was destroyed.

Why Are Pakistan and Afghanistan Facing Rising Tensions?

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained tense as attacks on Pakistani security forces and police have increased in recent years. Pakistan accuses Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied groups of using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan.

However, Afghanistan’s Taliban government has repeatedly denied these allegations. Pakistan has carried out cross-border air strikes on several occasions in the past, while Afghanistan has criticised such actions as violations of its sovereignty, adding to tensions between the two neighbouring countries.