Pakistan's Retaliatory Airstrikes in Afghanistan Kill 25 Militants
Pakistan conducted precision airstrikes on three eastern Afghan provinces overnight, killing 25 militants, in retaliation for recent attacks including the killing of three paramilitary soldiers in Karachi.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes on eastern Afghanistan overnight, targeting militants in response to deadly attacks, the Pakistani information minister said on Monday. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated in a press release that three targets in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar provinces were destroyed during precision strikes, killing 25 militants. He added that the offensive also included ground operations in border regions and specifically targeted Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a militant group often linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Tarar said the overnight operations were in response to an attack that killed three paramilitary troops in the southern city of Karachi on Saturday, as well as recent violence in Pakistan's border provinces. Pakistan has conducted a series of airstrikes on Afghanistan in recent months, the last one earlier this month. Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of sheltering militants behind a surge in attacks, particularly the TTP, which has waged a violent campaign against Pakistan for years.
Kabul has repeatedly denied that Afghan territory is used to harbor militants and says past Pakistani airstrikes have killed civilians. The border between the two neighbors has remained largely closed since a flare-up in violence in October, freezing bilateral trade.
