Pakistani airstrikes against terrorist bases in Afghanistan leave 71 dead

PESHAWAR: Security sources have confirmed that Pakistan has launched precision airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika province. These strikes have resulted in the elimination of over 71 Khawarij militants, including several key commanders.

Four of their most critical hideouts were obliterated, including a suicide vest manufacturing facility and their Umar Media Cell.

“This is not the first time Pakistan has been forced to act decisively across the border,” a senior security official stated. “Previously, Pakistan targeted terrorist networks in Afghanistan through drone strikes, inflicting heavy losses on them. At that time, the Afghan Taliban had assured us that no further attacks on Pakistan would originate from Afghan soil. Unfortunately, their promises remain unfulfilled; they are known to break agreements, including the Doha Accord.”

The official further stressed, “If the Afghan Taliban want to maintain constructive relations with Pakistan and China, they must act against these terrorists and uphold their commitments. Pakistan will continue targeting Khawarij sanctuaries until this menace is eradicated.”

Videos and audio intercepted from the targeted locations reveal chaos among the militants, who were heard urging one another to flee while lamenting the lack of support from local communities. These communications also confirm that the strikes were surgically precise, sparing civilians and local populations. “This operation sends a strong message to all enemies of Pakistan,” the security source added. “While we have avenged our fallen soldiers, the fight is not over. We will pursue these Khawarij to the last man, wherever they may hide.”

Meanwhile, security sources told this correspondent that Afghan and Indian media accounts are using images of children who died in the 2023 Afghanistan earthquake to falsely portray casualties from last night precise strikes by Pakistani forces. The sources said the reality was that the strikes at the intended suicide training centres and Umar Media premises were accurate, which were hit on multi-source credible intelligence reports. Only terrorist locations were targeted while completely safeguarding surrounding population, mosques, and religious seminaries where the presence of these Kharjis was also known. He said such propaganda campaigns against Pakistan Army have never worked before, nor will these ever work again in future.

Sources have confirmed that four major centres of Fitna Al-Khawarij in Afghanistan have been destroyed. These include Sher Zaman alias Mukhlish Yar, Akhtar Muhammad alias Khalil, Izhar alias Hamza and Shoaib Cheema.

These centres served not only as safe havens for these Kharijis but also held key importance for their administrative and operational activities.

AFP adds: Pakistan air strikes in an eastern border region of Afghanistan killed 46 civilians, the Taliban government said Wednesday, whilst a Pakistan security official said the bombardment had targeted “terrorist hideouts”.

The strikes were the latest spike in hostilities on the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with tensions escalating since the Taliban seized power in 2021.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP that late on Tuesday Pakistan bombarded four areas in the Barmal district of eastern Paktika province.

A senior Pakistan security official said the strikes were on “terrorist hideouts” using jets and drones and that they killed at least 20 militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “Arguments from Afghan officials claiming civilians are being harmed are baseless and misleading,” he added, speaking on condition of anonymity. A Taliban defence ministry statement late Tuesday condemned the strikes, calling them “barbaric” and a “clear aggression”. “The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered, but rather considers the defence of its territory and sovereignty to be its inalienable right,” the statement said, using the Taliban authorities’ name for the government.

The TTP in a statement on the strike claimed Pakistan “deliberately targeted refugee residences”. The Pakistani security official said the recent attack “was a significant trigger” for Tuesday’s strikes, “but not the only one”. “The interim Taliban regime has been repeatedly urged to take action against the TTP, but their response has been lukewarm,” he said. “Such strikes will continue as necessary.”