Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have flared up again after Pakistan launched what it called “well-planned and calibrated” aerial strikes against terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan. The Information Ministry said initial reports suggested 22 terrorists killed.

The attacks, which were part of Operation Ghazab lil Haq, targeted two locations allegedly used by organizations Pakistan refers to as Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan, and their affiliates. The ministry of information and broadcasting said the operation was based on “credible intelligence” and weapons and ammunition stored in the sites were also destroyed.

Pakistan officially refers to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al-Khawarij and to the militant groups operating in Balochistan that it says are supported by India as Fitna al-Hindustan.

The government said it had taken maximum precautions to avoid civilian casualties and described the strikes as part of its broader counterterrorism campaign under the Azm-e-Istehkam framework.

But Afghanistan has challenged Pakistan’s account. Strikes hit locations in Kunar and Helmand provinces, killing nine people, including women and children, and injuring 11 others, Afghan officials said. The rival claims have not been independently confirmed.

The latest operation comes after a series of escalating incidents on the Pakistan-Afghan frontier. Pakistan on Saturday carried out strikes against 10 sites in Afghanistan that it said were linked with drone launching and storage facilities, after its air-defence systems intercepted eight drones entering Pakistani airspace.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of allowing militant groups to operate from its territory, but Kabul denies the charges. The latest strikes underscore the increasingly fraught relationship between the two neighbors and raise fresh fears of further cross-border escalation.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)