ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said on Thursday that its airstrikes in Afghanistan hit two alleged militant sites and killed 22 militants, according to initial reports.
Officials described the strikes as intelligence-led operations under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. According to the ministry, the targets belonged to groups it called Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan, along with their affiliates.
“Targets were destroyed with precision,” the ministry said. Its statement claimed forces destroyed weapons and ammunition at the locations and took precautions to prevent collateral damage.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government disputed that account. Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed the overnight strikes hit civilian homes in Helmand and Kunar provinces, killing nine women and children and injuring 11 other civilians.
Associated Press could not independently verify either side’s casualty claims.
Pakistan’s ministry accused Afghanistan of remaining a base for militant activity directed against Pakistan. It identified the safety of Pakistani citizens as its priority and placed the campaign under the Azm-e-Istehkam framework.
Kabul has disputed Islamabad’s accusations that Afghan authorities allow militant groups to use their territory for attacks across the border.
A week earlier, Pakistan described aerial and drone strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan as a response to attempted drone attacks. Its September 24 announcement identified facilities used to launch and store drones as the targets.
Pakistan intercepted eight drones entering its airspace from Afghanistan before those earlier strikes, according to security sources. It brought down half near Torkham and shot down the others in mountainous areas near Kohat.
Separately, security sources claimed forces killed six militants using quadcopters in Balochistan’s Kachhi district on Thursday. They described the operation as intelligence-based and directed against Fitna al-Hindustan. Forces recovered weapons and ammunition and continued clearing the area.
Read: Pakistan Strikes 10 Sites in Afghanistan, Tarar Says
In North Waziristan, security sources described another operation in which forces destroyed alleged militant hideouts and tunnels. They claimed troops killed several militants and recovered explosives. A bomb disposal squad neutralised explosive material during searches.
Pakistan launched Ghazab lil-Haq in February, months after the two countries agreed to an October 2025 ceasefire following clashes along several border points. Repeated talks between Islamabad and Kabul have not resolved their differences over militant activity across the border.
Officials pledged to continue the campaign through Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies.
