On Sunday, Pakistani security forces conducted a ground operation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. This was followed by strategic strikes on militant hideouts and safe havens, resulting in the deaths of 29 fighters, according to officials.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced the operation on social media. He stated that it was a response to multiple militant attacks across Pakistan. Afghanistan has not provided an immediate response to the actions.
Recently, there has been an increase in militant attacks targeting police and security forces in Pakistan. Authorities attribute most of this violence to the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and affiliated groups.
On Saturday night, a paramilitary cordon was set up in Karachi after an attack on a Security Rangers compound. Security personnel inspected the compound amid heightened security measures.
This operation followed an attack on the regional headquarters of the paramilitary Rangers in Karachi, which left three soldiers dead. Security forces countered by killing three attackers and capturing another, who was identified as an Afghan national.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the Karachi attack.
Minister Tarar noted that the recent operation along the Afghan border specifically targeted the Pakistani Taliban’s hideouts. The Pakistani Taliban, distinct from the Afghan Taliban, has allied with them. The Afghan Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021.
These operations are likely to heighten existing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
Cross-Border Violence Intensifies
The recent cross-border operation came less than three weeks after Pakistan’s military conducted airstrikes on alleged militant hideouts in Afghanistan. These actions interrupted a month of relative calm, despite prior declarations of an “open war” by Islamabad. International efforts continue to aim for lasting peace.
Earlier in February, cross-border fighting resulted in hundreds of casualties following Pakistan’s airstrikes within Afghan territory. Afghanistan launched retaliatory strikes in response.
Repeated international peace talks have yet to produce a permanent ceasefire. China hosted discussions in April, and later reported an agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan to avoid conflict escalation and seek a resolution.
Since last year, Pakistan has performed multiple strikes along the border and within Afghanistan. These strikes target alleged TTP hideouts, among other militants. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of sheltering militants responsible for deadly attacks in Pakistan, especially the TTP. Kabul rejects these accusations.
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