Pakistan Confirms Precision Airstrikes in Afghanistan, Cites “Conclusive Evidence” of Militant Safe Havens

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has officially confirmed carrying out cross-border airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan late Saturday night, describing the military action as a direct “retributive response” to a recent surge in deadly suicide bombings on Pakistani soil.

In a formal statement dated February 21, the ministry detailed that the operations involved the “intelligence-based selective targeting” of seven militant camps and hideouts located along the Afghan border. The strikes were aimed specifically at factions of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad officially designates as Fitna al-Khawarij, and affiliates of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-KP).

According to the official release, the strikes were executed with “precision and accuracy” to neutralize imminent threats. The ministry stated that Islamabad possesses “conclusive evidence” linking the targeted Afghan-based militants to recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan. This includes a string of recent bombings targeting an Imam Bargah in Islamabad, as well as attacks in the northwestern districts of Bajaur and Bannu.

The official statement placed significant diplomatic pressure on the Taliban-led administration in Kabul. Islamabad explicitly accused the Afghan authorities of failing to take effective action to prevent their territory from being used as a launchpad by militant groups targeting Pakistan, noting that this failure persists despite repeated requests and shared intelligence.

Reiterating its security demands, the Foreign Ministry urged the Afghan Taliban to strictly fulfill its obligations under the 2020 Doha Agreement, which mandates that Afghan soil must not be used to provide safe haven to armed terrorist organizations.

The late-night military operation marks a sharp escalation in the increasingly volatile security dynamic between the two neighboring nations, underscoring Islamabad’s hardening stance on cross-border terrorism.