Kabul: Pakistan launched airstrikes and deployed ground forces into several Afghan border provinces on Sunday, triggering fresh tensions between the two neighbouring countries and resulting in dozens of reported casualties.
The Taliban-led Afghan government condemned the operation, describing it as a “cowardly act” and calling it a crime against civilians. Taliban officials claimed that at least 100 people were killed or injured, including civilians, although the casualty figures have not been independently verified.
Pakistan, however, said the operation targeted militant hideouts in the provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said 29 militants were killed during the strikes, describing the operation as a response to recent terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of sheltering militants responsible for attacks on Pakistani territory, allegations the Taliban government continues to reject. Kabul, meanwhile, has accused Pakistan of carrying out cross-border attacks that have killed civilians.
The latest escalation comes despite a ceasefire agreement reached between the two countries in October last year, which has since collapsed following repeated clashes along the border.
The military operation follows a suicide attack in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Saturday that killed three members of the Sindh Rangers. Pakistani authorities said an Afghan national was among those arrested after the attack, while the banned militant group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter faction of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility.
Border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified in recent months, with repeated airstrikes, armed clashes and accusations from both sides contributing to instability in the region.
