Pakistan said it carried out cross-border strikes on militant targets inside Afghanistan after blaming a series of recent suicide bombings, including attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, on fighters it said were operating from Afghan territory.
The operation marked a sharp escalation in tensions between Pakistan and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, days after Kabul released three Pakistani soldiers in a Saudi-mediated step meant to calm relations following months of clashes along the rugged frontier.
In a statement dated 21 February and released early on Sunday, Pakistan's foreign ministry said it had "conclusive evidence" that the attacks were carried out by what it calls Khwarij, its term for the Pakistani Taliban, acting on instructions from "their Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers."
The statement said Pakistan conducted "intelligence based selective targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts" used by the Pakistani Taliban as well as Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) along the border with Afghanistan.
Kabul has repeatedly denied allowing militants to use Afghan territory to stage attacks inside Pakistan.
The government linked recent violence to a bombing at a Shi'ite mosque in Islamabad, as well as attacks in the north-western districts of Bajaur and Bannu.
The military said that in Bannu on Saturday a suicide bomber targeted a convoy of security forces, killing five militants in a gun battle and two soldiers when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed a military vehicle.
Tensions have repeatedly forced key border crossings to shut, interrupting trade and movement along the 2,600 -kilometre frontier.
Dozens were killed in clashes in October before the two sides agreed to a fragile ceasefire, but Pakistan continues to accuse Afghanistan's Taliban rulers of harbouring militants who stage attacks inside its territory, a claim Kabul denies.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 22nd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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Quentin Griffiths, co-founder of online fashion retailer ASOS, has died in Pattaya, Thailand, after falling from the 17th floor of a condominium on 9 February, Thai police confirmed.
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Ukraine’s National Paralympic Committee has announced it will boycott the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics in Verona on 6 March, citing the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags.
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President Donald Trump said on Saturday (21 February) that he will raise temporary tariffs on nearly all U.S. imports from 10% to 15%, the maximum allowed under the law, after the Supreme Court struck down his previous tariff program.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 22nd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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