Pakistan strikes eastern Afghanistan, killing dozens after Karachi attack

Pakistan's information minister Attaullah Tarar announced on Monday that the country had carried out cross-border strikes and ground operations in eastern Afghanistan, killing 25 militants. The operation targeted Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Islamabad said it conducted "precision strikes" overnight, destroying three targets in the provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar.

The strikes were in response to a major security breach on Saturday in Karachi, where explosives were detonated and gunmen opened fire at a Rangers paramilitary camp, killing three personnel. Authorities later detained an Afghan national suspected of involvement in the attack, which was one of the worst militant assaults in the city in years.

Afghanistan's Taliban government strongly disputed Pakistan's account, stating that the airstrikes primarily hit civilian areas and caused dozens of civilian casualties. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the action as a "cowardly act of aggression." Afghan authorities have repeatedly denied that their territory harbors militants.

Relations between the two neighbors have been strained since the Taliban took power in 2021. A weeks-long war erupted in February, followed by a fragile ceasefire in March that has been punctuated by intermittent attacks. Afghan officials reported that Pakistani strikes in June alone killed 13 people. The United Nations said hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands displaced by the violence.

International mediation efforts, including from China, have so far failed to secure a lasting diplomatic resolution. The shared border has remained largely closed since a previous wave of cross-border violence in October.