New Delhi: Pakistan carried out airstrikes on terrorist camps in Afghanistan on Sunday night. According to reports, the strikes targeted camps in the Paktika and Barmal areas of Afghanistan, as well as Shawal in North Waziristan, at around 8 pm. Apart from that, airstrikes have been reported in the Paktia and Khost provinces of the country.
Meanwhile, a clash broke out between Afghan Taliban fighters and Pakistani forces along the border in Lalpur district of Nangarhar. The Pakistani army is targeting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts on both sides of the border. In December last year, Pakistan had conducted a major airstrike on Afghanistan, specifically in the Barmal district of Paktika province. That strike resulted in the deaths of 46 people, including women and children.
Tensions escalate
According to Afghan officials, the death toll from the latest airstrikes may rise. Reports suggest that multiple villages were also targeted. Media sources indicate that Pakistani fighter jets have bombed several areas in Afghanistan. These airstrikes have caused massive destruction, significantly escalating tensions in the region. In recent months, the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has intensified its attacks on Pakistani forces.
Pakistan has consistently accused the Afghan government of sheltering armed groups, particularly the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it alleges carries out attacks on Pakistani security forces across the border. In the same month, TTP fighters took responsibility for the deaths of at least 16 Pakistani soldiers in South Waziristan, marking one of the deadliest recent assaults on security personnel.
TTP’s militant agenda
Although the Taliban denies offering refuge to militant groups or permitting cross-border attacks from Afghan territory, Pakistan maintains that the TTP operates from sanctuaries in Afghanistan. The TTP pledges loyalty to the Afghan Taliban and takes its name from them, but it is not directly part of the group in power in Afghanistan. The TTP’s main goal is to enforce Islamic law in Pakistan, similar to what the Taliban has done in Afghanistan.
