Pakistan Border Strikes Kill 29 Militants Amid Civilian Casualty Claims

Pakistani security forces utilized both ground assaults and aerial bombardment to target positions in the Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed 25 militants died in these strikes, which also decimated stockpiles of weaponry. A separate ground operation in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resulted in the deaths of four additional fighters linked to the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar group.

Afghan officials identified a residential home in Paktia as the primary site of the reported civilian fatalities. While Pakistan maintains these strikes are a necessary defense against cross-border terrorism, Islamabad continues to allege that Kabul provides a safe harbor for militant factions. The Taliban government denies these accusations, maintaining that its territory is not used to facilitate attacks against its neighbor.