“In the aftermath of recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan […] precise and calibrated strikes were carried out along Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas on hideouts and safe havens of masterminds and planners belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij, killing 26 India-sponsored khawarij,” the minister said in a post on X.
“Based on credible intelligence, selective targeting of camps and hideouts was carried out with precision and accuracy,” Tarar said.
He elaborated that “four targets were completely destroyed, including a training centre, a hideout, and an ammunition cache and marakiz (centres) belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij Commander Aleem Khan Khushali and Commander Akhtar Muhammad Jani Khel”.
The Pakistani government uses the term ‘Fitna-al-Khawarij’ to refer to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates.
Tarar affirmed that Pakistan had “always strived for maintaining peace and stability in the region, but at the same time, the safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority”.
“Our relentless counterterrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-i-Istehkam’ (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” Tarar stated.
He noted that the strikes were carried out in the aftermath of recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan, including Tuesday’s attack on a Federal Constabulary (FC) post in Musa Dara in Peshawar.
Six FC personnel were martyred and four received injuries while responding to an attempt by terrorists to capture the post, which was thwarted by security forces.The forces killed eight terrorists in retaliatory action, sources said, adding that three personnel had been abducted by the attackers.
Tarar also mentioned “vehicle-borne suicide attacks on a military post in North Waziristan” on June 2, which was foiled, and the May 9 suicide attack on a Bannu post that claimed the lives of 15 police personnel.
Following that incident, Islamabad had issued a “strong demarche” to the Afghan chargé d’affaires.
The minister also mentioned an attack on a police station in Bannu on May 9. Two police personnel were martyred in the incident after law enforcers foiled a suicide attack on Fateh Khel police post.
Separately, a post on the information ministry’s fact-checking account on X responded to a claim made by the Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid alleging civilian casualties from Pakistan’s strikes.
The post stated that the Afghan Taliban spokesperson and associated accounts were “habitual propagandists known for fabricating civilian casualty narratives”.
“It is well known that Afghan Taliban and Fitna-al-Khawarij allow terrorists to co-locate families and other civilians with terrorist infrastructure as collateral insurance,” the post said.
It added that the narrative of collateral damage “cannot prevent defensive measures by Pakistan”, which it said were eliminating “safe havens and logistic support” for terrorists responsible for terrorist activity in Pakistan.
“Pakistan’s targeting is precise and based on confirmed intelligence,” it said.
The post also mentioned that the latest precision strikes by Pakistan targeted two terrorist camps.Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration since then to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.
For their part, the Afghan Taliban have denied the allegations and say militancy in Pakistan is an internal problem.
In February, Pakistan had launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. During the operation, Pakistan has said it targeted terror infrastructure, including ammunition and equipment storage sites.
Meanwhile, China has been mediating between the two sides. After hosting their first meeting in Urumqi, Xinjiang, in April — aimed at bringing an end to the Islamabad-Kabul animosity — Beijing intends to hold a second meeting to keep the process on track, according to people familiar with discussions.
There was a lull in hostilities following the Urumqi meeting until the latest strikes on Wednesday.
For its part, the FO has underscored that progress in ties with Afghanistan hinges on credible counter-terrorism assurances from Kabul, particularly a commitment that its soil would not be used for attacks against Pakistan.
Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced the airstrikes, which he said targeted the Afghan provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika. He said the strikes killed 11 children, one woman and one elderly man.
There was no immediate acknowledgment of the strikes from Pakistan
Pakistan and Afghanistan had been embroiled in months of deadly fighting that killed hundreds of people since late February, when Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring militants that carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from, but allied with, the Afghan Taliban, which has ruled Afghanistan since it seized power in the country in 2021 amid the chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.