Why Pakistan’s Afghan air strikes aren’t stopping armed attacks | Conflict News
Pakistan Conducts Airstrikes in Afghanistan Following Deadly Attack in Karachi
Islamabad, Pakistan — In a significant escalation of tensions, Pakistan’s military conducted airstrikes targeting alleged hideouts of an armed group across three Afghan provinces overnight. This operation follows a deadly attack on a Sindh Rangers base in Karachi over the weekend that resulted in the deaths of three paramilitary personnel and left four others injured.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar reported on social media platform X that security forces struck locations in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar provinces, asserting that 25 fighters were killed during the operation. In a concurrent ground operation in Pakistan’s northwestern Bajaur district, several members of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were also reported killed, including a senior commander. Tarar added that significant quantities of arms and ammunition were destroyed.
The JuA claimed responsibility for the Karachi attack, underscoring its role within the broader context of militant violence that has plagued Pakistan in recent years. Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed that a formal diplomatic protest was lodged with Afghanistan’s charge d’affaires following the assault, with Pakistani Ambassador to Kabul delivering a separate demarche to the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Afghan soil and Afghan nationals continue to be used to orchestrate terrorist attacks inside Pakistan,” stated Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andrabi.
The Afghan Taliban, distinct from the TTP, accused the Pakistani military of resulting in civilian casualties during the airstrikes. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid described images of children reportedly injured in the strikes and claimed dozens of civilians were killed in residential areas.
While neither side’s claims could be independently verified, the recent events illustrate a cyclical pattern in the fraught relationships between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan has often resorted to military strikes and diplomatic measures in response to attacks it attributes to armed groups operating from Afghanistan, yet violence continues to escalate.
The Karachi attack occurred on June 27 in the Gulistan-i-Jauhar neighborhood, marking one of the most significant assaults in the city since February 2023, when TTP elements attacked the Karachi Police Office, resulting in four fatalities. According to local security sources, one attacker, identified as Usman Ali, an Afghan national from Jalalabad, was captured alive and reportedly revealed the attackers had entered Pakistan a week prior to the incident.
Pakistan’s military and governmental response underscores a persistent strategy that has seen a rise in attacks, with a 34% increase in incidents recorded in 2025, culminating in over 1,000 fatalities and many more injuries.
In recent months, Pakistan has launched Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, a sustained military campaign involving air and ground operations targeting militants in eastern Afghanistan. Concurrently, Islamabad has deported nearly one million Afghan nationals since September 2023 and engaged in various diplomatic efforts, including ceasefire talks with the Taliban government, although none have yielded a lasting solution.
Experts have noted that Pakistan’s current counterterrorism strategy lacks cohesion, relying heavily on military responses without addressing underlying governance issues. Analysts raise concerns that the persistent cycle of violence and retaliatory strikes might foster long-term instability in the region.
International observers warn that Pakistan’s airstrikes could be exacerbating public sentiment against Islamabad within Afghanistan, potentially providing the Taliban an opportunity to fortify its narrative against external aggression.
As both nations grapple with a rising tide of violence and conflict, the need for a reevaluation of strategic approaches is becoming increasingly crucial, with calls for renewed dialogue and innovative solutions to the persistent challenges they face.