Pakistan says it killed 29 militants in border operation along Afghanistan frontier
Pakistan said it killed 29 militants during a ground operation followed by calibrated strikes on militant hideouts along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, marking a fresh escalation in cross-border tensions.
According to Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, the operation targeted safe havens of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after a series of militant attacks across the country. The action came a day after militants attacked the Rangers' headquarters in Karachi, killing three soldiers before security forces neutralised three attackers and arrested another.
The latest operation is expected to further strain ties between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan's Taliban-led government of sheltering TTP militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, an allegation Kabul has consistently denied.
The strikes follow months of tit-for-tat military action between the two neighbours, with repeated cross-border operations and failed international efforts to broker a lasting ceasefire. China has also attempted to mediate between the two countries amid growing regional security concerns.
