Pakistan has carried out well-planned and calibrated air strikes on terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, with initial reports indicating that 22 terrorists were killed, the information ministry said on Thursday.
In a post on X, the ministry said that the strikes were part of Operation Ghazab lil Haq and reflected Pakistan’s commitment to eliminating terrorists, their networks and those supporting them.
The ministry said that the air strikes hit hideouts and safe havens of Fitna al Khwarij and Fitna al Hindustan, killing “multiple terrorists”.
Fitna al Khawarij is used to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Fitna al Hindustan is used for designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups in reference to India’s role in terrorism and destabilisation in Pakistan.
The operation followed credible intelligence about terrorist camps and hideouts at two locations in Afghanistan.
“Based on credible intelligence, selective targeting of terrorist camps and hideouts at two locations belonging to Fitna al Khawarij, Fitna al Hindustan and their affiliates has been carried out in Afghanistan with precision and accuracy,” the ministry said.
The ministry added that the targets were destroyed and initial reports indicated that 22 terrorists had been killed. It said that large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored at the hideouts were also destroyed.
The ministry said that Pakistan had always stressed regional peace and stability but the safety of Pakistani citizens remained its “foremost priority”.
It said that Afghanistan “continues to remain a hub of terrorism” and that the threat to Pakistan emanates from Afghanistan. The ministry added that the strikes targeted terrorist hubs and “maximum precaution” was taken to ensure “no collateral damage”.
The Information Ministry added that Pakistan’s counter-terrorism campaign Ghazab lil Haq will continue at “full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.”
Islamabad has been calling on the Afghan Taliban government in Kabul to act against terrorists sanctuaries operating from Afghan territory, particularly those associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
A United Nations (UN) Security Council-mandated monitoring report covering Dec 16, 2025 to June 9, 2026 said that continued Taliban support for the TTP had played a role in the rising frequency and severity of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The report also noted that Kabul had taken some initial measures against the group.
It further highlighted increasing operational and facilitation ties among the TTP, Al Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIL-K) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
The latest strikes follow a series of clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan in September.
Pakistan carried out calibrated air strikes in the Afghanistan border region on Sept 21 after major terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The government said that the strikes killed more than 28 terrorists.
Pakistan later shot down eight drones that entered its airspace near Torkham and Kohat after being launched from across the border. It then carried out “precision aerial and drone strikes” at 10 sites in Afghanistan.
The Foreign Office (FO) said that Islamabad had also sent a demarche to the Afghan side over the Sept 23 airspace violation involving drones. The FO spokesperson said that the demarche was delivered on Sept 26.
Last week, the information ministry also said reports from the Afghan defence ministry about the destruction of a Pakistani post near Spin Boldak, along the Balochistan-Kandahar frontier, were not correct.
