Pakistan strikes TTP camps in Afghanistan
Pakistan targeted Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) camps late Tuesday night with airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province, reportedly killing and wounding multiple suspected terrorists.
Dawn News reported that Pakistani fighter jets targeted TTP camps in the Murgha and Laman areas of the Bernal district in Afghanistan.
Journalist Anas Mallick posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Pakistan in its reported precision strikes deep inside Afghanistan has targeted 4 TTP camps and also the office of Umar Media, the TTPs media arm — Second strikes that Pakistan has done inside Afghanistan this year, had also airstriked deep inside Afghanistan in March this year.”
An X post by the Afghan Defence Ministry also confirmed Pakistan’s targeted attack. However, it claimed that the fatalities from Pakistan’s airstrikes included a number of children and other civilians.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers this a brutal act against all international principles and blatant aggression and strongly condemns it,” the ministry said.
Interestingly, the strikes came on the same day that a Pakistani delegation, led by Special Representative Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, met Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Foreign Minister Amir Muttaqi in Kabul to resume diplomatic dialogue after a year.
The Pakistani cross-border strike also follows the martyrdom of sixteen Pakistan Army soldiers on December 21, when terrorists attacked a checkpost in Makeen, South Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Since 2022, Pakistan has experienced a sharp rise in terrorist attacks across the country, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Journalist Anas Mallick also posted on X: “By going deep inside Afghanistan for the second time this year and targeting terror sanctuaries, Pakistan has made it clear that it will target terrorist camps regardless of their location and proximity. #Pakistan”
According to the Interior Ministry, in the past 10 months, 948 out of 1,566 reported terrorism incidents occurred in KP, resulting in 583 deaths (out of a total of 924 martyrs).
This is the second time in 2024 that Pakistan has targeted TTP camps inside Afghanistan. Previously, it launched two airstrikes into Afghanistan’s Paktika and Khost provinces in March, targeting multiple terrorist hideouts.
Analyst Michael Kugelman took to X to post: “Pakistan has reportedly launched air strikes in Afghanistan against TTP targets there. Just 3 days ago, the TTP claimed an attack in South Waziristan that killed 16 Pakistan troops. Islamabad suggested earlier this year that these cross-border CT operations will pick up.”
Another X account affiliated with Afghanistan’s interim government posted graphic pictures of dead children today with the caption: “Three children, among other civilians, have been martyred in Afghanistan’s Paktika province today in a Zionist Pakistani army attack. We will soon take its revenge, InshaAllah.”