ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday confirmed that its military conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Paktika earlier this week, describing the operation as intelligence-based and aimed at neutralizing “threats to Pakistani citizens’ security.”
The statement, delivered by Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch during a media briefing in Islamabad, marks the first official acknowledgment of the strikes. Pakistani security officials had earlier indicated that the operation targeted suspected militants.
“Pakistan is united for its people,” Baloch said. “The intelligence-based operation was conducted in Afghanistan’s border areas based on threats to the security of Pakistani citizens.”
Taliban have strongly condemned the strikes, saying that the airstrikes in Barmal district of Paktika targeted Waziristani refugees, killing 46 people and injuring six others, including women and children.
Pakistan has not provided any details regarding casualties or specific targets of the operation.
Strained relations between neighbors
Baloch emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to diplomacy, stating that the country “respects Afghanistan’s integrity and sovereignty” and has always prioritized dialogue in managing bilateral issues.
Relations between Islamabad and the Taliban have been increasingly strained, with frequent border clashes and growing tensions over the activities of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of allowing the TTP to operate from Afghanistan’s soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan, a claim that the Taliban denies.
A UN monitoring group has reported that the TTP has at least 6,000 fighters in Afghanistan.
The airstrikes come as tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border remain high, further complicating already fraught relations between the two countries.
