Islamabad(The COW News Digital) Pakistan has carried out aerial strikes against suspected terrorist hideouts at two locations inside Afghanistan, with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reporting that 22 militants were killed in the operation.
According to the ministry, the strikes were conducted as part of Operation Ghazab lil Haq and followed what officials described as credible intelligence about terrorist camps and safe havens. The targeted locations were allegedly linked to groups referred to by Pakistani authorities as Fitna al Khawarij and Fitna al Hindustan, along with their affiliates.
The ministry said the targets were selected and hit with precision, while large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored at the hideouts were also destroyed. It said initial reports indicated that 22 terrorists had been killed.
Pakistan has maintained that militant networks operating from Afghan territory pose a security threat to the country. The Ministry of Information said Afghanistan’s continued role as a hub for terrorism was a matter of serious concern and that the latest action was aimed at terrorist centres believed to be contributing to attacks against Pakistan.
The government said the safety and security of Pakistani citizens remained its foremost priority and stressed that Pakistan had consistently sought peace and stability in the region. Officials also said maximum precautions were taken during the operation to prevent civilian casualties.
However, Afghan authorities have presented a different account of the strikes. The Taliban government said Pakistani aircraft hit areas in Kunar and Helmand provinces, with Afghan officials reporting civilian deaths and injuries. Reuters reported that Kabul said nine people, including women and children, were killed, while Pakistan maintained that the strikes targeted militants. The competing casualty claims could not be independently verified.
The latest strikes come amid renewed tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan following a period of relative calm. Islamabad has repeatedly accused militant groups based in Afghanistan of carrying out attacks inside Pakistan, while Kabul has rejected allegations that it allows its territory to be used for such activities.
Pakistan’s information ministry said the counterterrorism campaign under Operation Ghazab lil Haq would continue at full pace under the broader Azm-e-Istehkam framework. The government has stated that the campaign is intended to dismantle terrorist networks, their support structures and safe havens.
The latest development marks another escalation in already strained Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, with both sides maintaining sharply different accounts of cross-border security operations and their consequences.
