Pakistan-Taliban Ties Slide Further as Cross-Border Strikes Escalate

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani military carried out airstrikes on terrorist sites “in the border region with Afghanistan”, killing more than 28 terrorists, Pakistan’s Information Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry stressed that the “calibrated” strikes were carried out “against the hideouts and safe havens of terrorist organizations responsible” for the recent multiple terrorist incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Based on credible intelligence, selective targeting of terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to Fitna al Khawarij and its affiliates has also been carried out in the border region with Afghanistan with precision and accuracy,” the statement said.

It added: “Three targets were destroyed with precision, including a suicide bombers’ training markaz (Centre), killing 28 terrorists alongside multiple suicide bombers.

“Large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored at these marakiz (center’s) and hideouts were also destroyed.”

The state uses the term Fitna al Khawarij for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Prior to the airstrikes, security forces conducted a “well-planned intelligence-based ground operation” on Sunday against a group of terrorists in KP’s Kohat and Hangu districts, the ministry said.

“As a result of precise and skilful engagement, nine khawarij belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij were sent to hell, while several were injured,” the statement added.

The ministry highlighted that Pakistan had “always strived for the maintenance of peace and stability in the region”.

“However, the safety and security of our citizens remains our foremost priority. It is a matter of grave concern that Afghanistan continues to remain a hub of terrorism,” it said, specifying that the “threat to Pakistan emanates from Afghanistan”.

“In this context, our action precisely targeted the terrorist hubs. Maximum precautions were taken, and it was ensured that no collateral damage occurs,” the ministry asserted.

The airstrikes come a few days after a major attack in the old Police Lines in KP’s Kohat claimed 23 lives and injured about 100 others. Eight terrorists were killed during an overnight clearance operation launched to clear the area.

Relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have deteriorated sharply since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad initially expected the Taliban government to help contain the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), given their historical and ideological links, but Pakistan says militant attacks from Afghan territory increased instead. The Taliban government has repeatedly denied providing sanctuary to the TTP and has described the issue as Pakistan’s internal problem.

The dispute has gradually moved from diplomatic pressure to direct military confrontation. After repeated Pakistani accusations that TTP fighters were operating from Afghan territory, cross-border fighting escalated in late 2025, followed by mediation efforts involving Qatar, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia. Those efforts failed to produce a durable settlement, while Pakistan and Kabul continued to disagree fundamentally over the presence and activities of the TTP in Afghanistan.

The latest strikes mark another escalation after nearly three months of relative calm. Pakistan says the targets were TTP and affiliated militant facilities responsible for attacks in KP, while Afghan authorities have condemned the strikes as violations of Afghan territory and reported civilian casualties. The immediate dispute therefore remains centered on whether Kabul can or will prevent anti-Pakistan militants from using Afghan soil—a question that has increasingly turned Pakistan-Taliban relations from a relationship once marked by strategic cooperation into an adversarial security relationship.