Pak launches precision strikes on militant hideouts near Afghanistan border after string of deadly suicide bombings

Pakistan has launched a series of strikes targeting militant camps along the Afghanistan border, the government announced on Saturday. The escalation comes in its response to a recent wave of deadly suicide attacks inside the country.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the military carried out “intelligence-based, selective operations” targeting seven camps belonging to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated groups. An affiliate of the Islamic State was also targeted during the operation.

Officials did not confirm the exact locations, but reports suggested the strikes may have hit militant positions inside Afghanistan. Afghan authorities had not issued an immediate response.

Suicide bombings trigger tough retaliation

The strikes came in direct response to recent suicide attacks that killed Pakistani security personnel and civilians. In one of the deadliest incidents, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a security post in Bajaur district, killing 11 soldiers and a child. Authorities later said the attacker was an Afghan national.

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In another attack just hours before the strikes, a suicide bomber targeted a security convoy in Bannu district, killing two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel.

Pakistan’s military signaled a tougher stance following the attacks, warning it would not “exercise any restraint” and would continue operations against militants wherever they were based.

Tarar defended the military action, saying Pakistan “has always strived to maintain peace and stability in the region,” while stressing that protecting Pakistani citizens remained a top priority.

Rising tensions with Afghanistan

Islamabad has accused militant groups of operating from Afghan territory and blamed Afghan-based leadership for orchestrating attacks inside Pakistan. Tarar said authorities had “conclusive evidence” linking recent attacks, including a deadly mosque bombing, to militants acting on the “behest of their Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers.”

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Pakistan has repeatedly urged Afghanistan’s Taliban government to prevent militant groups from using its territory, arguing that insufficient action has been taken. Officials also urged the international community to pressure Afghanistan to uphold commitments under the Doha agreement.

Militant violence in Pakistan has surged in recent years, largely blamed on the TTP and allied groups. Islamabad maintains that many of these militants operate from across the border, a claim denied by Kabul and the TTP.