Pakistan has announced that 29 militants were killed during an operation on the border with Afghanistan
On 29 June, Pakistani security forces carried out a ground operation along the border with Afghanistan, after which they launched a series of strikes on militant hideouts and shelters. According to the Pakistani authorities, 29 militants were killed as a result of the operation, the AP reports.
Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, stated that the operation was launched in response to a series of militant attacks in various parts of the country.
He said the strikes targeted hideouts belonging to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan group. The Pakistani authorities hold this group and its allies responsible for most of the attacks on the police and security forces in the country.
Meanwhile, Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that dozens of civilians, including women and children, had been killed or injured as a result of the Pakistani strikes.
“We strongly condemn this cowardly act of aggression and consider it a crime and an act of brutality,” he said.
The operation took place the day after an attack on the headquarters of the paramilitary Rangers unit in Karachi. On that occasion, armed militants attacked the facility, killing three soldiers.
Pakistani security forces killed three of the attackers and detained another who was wounded. The military reported that the detainee is an Afghan national.
The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar group, a splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack in Karachi.
This latest operation is likely to further strain relations between Islamabad and Kabul. This is yet another episode of escalation along the border between the two countries.
Less than three weeks ago, the Pakistani army also carried out air strikes on targets it described as militant hideouts on Afghan territory.
In recent months, there have been several reciprocal military operations between the countries. Since February, hundreds of people have been killed as a result of border clashes.
Several rounds of talks have failed to bring about a lasting ceasefire. In April, negotiations between the parties were also held with China acting as mediator.
Since last year, Pakistan has repeatedly carried out strikes along the border and within Afghan territory, claiming that the targets are militants from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and other groups.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan government of harbouring militants who carry out attacks on Pakistani territory. Kabul denies these allegations.
