Pakistan Launches Strikes on the Border with Afghanistan Resulting in Dozens of Casualties

SadaNews - Pakistan announced on Sunday that it conducted military strikes against armed groups near the border with Afghanistan, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, including children, according to local authorities.

These strikes are considered the most intense since the clashes that occurred along the border between the two countries in October of last year, which resulted in the deaths of dozens.

The Pakistani Ministry of Information stated that the operations were in response to "recent suicide attacks," including an attack targeting a mosque in Islamabad at the beginning of February.

The statement added that the Pakistani army conducted "targeted operations based on intelligence information" against seven camps and hideouts belonging to the Pakistani Taliban and also targeted a branch of ISIS, without specifying the locations of the strikes or providing additional details.

In contrast, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, accused Pakistan of shelling civilian areas in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, leading to the deaths and injuries of dozens of civilians, including women and children. An Afghan security source reported that 17 people were killed in an attack on a house in Behsood district, including 12 children and minors.

Tensions have escalated between the two countries since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021, with bloody border clashes occurring in recent months.

Islamabad accuses armed groups, including the Pakistani Taliban and separatist groups in Balochistan, of using Afghan territory to carry out attacks inside Pakistan, a claim that the Taliban government consistently denies.

Pakistan has urged the international community to pressure Kabul to adhere to the Doha Agreement prohibiting support for hostile acts against other countries, asserting that the security of its citizens remains a top priority.

It also noted that the closure of the land border since mid-November has affected trade and the lives of residents in border areas.

According to a report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 70 civilians were killed and 478 others were injured during the last three months of 2025 due to incidents attributed to Pakistani forces.