Pakistan conducted overnight airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, killing an estimated 25 militants according to Islamabad but resulting in dozens of reported civilian casualties according to Afghan authorities. The strikes target a militant group blamed for a weekend attack on a paramilitary camp in Karachi and represent the latest episode in escalating cross-border violence between the two neighbors, despite a ceasefire agreement reached in March.
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Pakistan carried out airstrikes overnight in eastern Afghanistan, saying its operations killed 25 militants and targeted Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a TTP splinter group blamed for a weekend attack in Karachi. Afghan authorities reported dozens of civilian casualties from the strikes in three eastern provinces, and Pakistan also conducted ground operations that killed four additional militants.
Why it matters
This marks the latest escalation in a cycle of cross-border violence between the two countries that has intensified since the Taliban took power in 2021. The neighbors agreed to a ceasefire in March but sporadic attacks have continued; these strikes signal that despite Pakistan's stated focus on mediating Middle East conflicts, it is still prosecuting a military campaign against groups it views as threatening its own security.
What to watch
Afghan authorities deny their territory harbors militants and point to a heavy civilian toll from Pakistani operations, including a March strike on a drug treatment center that the UN said killed hundreds. The frontier has been largely closed since cross-border violence in October, and mediation from several countries, including China, has failed to produce a lasting resolution.
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