ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Wednesday that Pakistan conducted “precise and calibrated strikes” along the Afghanistan border, killing at least 26 militants linked to recent terrorist attacks in the country.
In a statement posted on X, the minister said the operations targeted hideouts and safe havens of planners involved in multiple incidents, including the June 9 attack on a Federal Constabulary post in Musa Dara, a June 2 vehicle-borne suicide attack in North Waziristan, and a May 9 assault on a police station in Bannu.
The strikes came a day after six Federal Constabulary personnel were killed and several others injured when militants attacked a security post in Hassan Khel, a remote area near Peshawar. Officials said the attack triggered a heavy exchange of fire during the night.
According to Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, six paramilitary personnel were martyred in the assault, which involved a coordinated attack by armed militants.
Tarar said the latest operations targeted groups referred to by the state as “Fitna al Khwarij”, a term used for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), adding that the militants were “Indian-sponsored terrorists,” according to the statement.
He said credible intelligence led to the selective targeting of camps and hideouts, and claimed four facilities were destroyed, including a training centre, ammunition depot, and operational hideouts linked to militant commanders.
The information minister said Pakistan remained committed to peace and stability in the region but stressed that protecting citizens was the state’s top priority. He added that counter-terrorism operations under the national framework “Azm-e-Istehkam” would continue.
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since 2021, following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan.
Authorities have repeatedly accused Afghanistan-based networks of providing safe havens for militants, a claim Kabul denies. Despite multiple rounds of talks, tensions between the two countries remain unresolved over counter-terrorism cooperation.