Pakistan Says 22 TTP Militants Killed in Afghanistan Airstrikes as Taliban Condemns Action
Pakistan said its airstrikes in Afghanistan killed 22 TTP militants, while the Taliban claimed nine Afghan civilians were killed and 11 injured, escalating tensions between the neighbours.
Pakistan said it carried out airstrikes against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts in Afghanistan, claiming that at least 22 militants were killed. The Taliban government disputed the account, saying nine Afghan civilians, including women and children, died and 11 others were injured.
Pakistan’s Information Ministry described the operation as a targeted action based on intelligence about TTP camps and safe havens. It said strikes at two locations destroyed militant facilities along with weapons and ammunition. Islamabad also said precautions were taken to avoid civilian casualties and insisted that protecting Pakistani citizens remained its priority.
The Taliban government rejected the operation as aggression. Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes hit areas in Kunar and Helmand provinces, destroyed three homes and caused civilian casualties.
The conflicting claims come amid worsening relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration of allowing TTP and allied militant groups to operate from Afghan territory and plan attacks against Pakistan. Kabul has rejected those allegations.
Pakistan said its counter-terrorism campaign, Ghazab lil Haq, would continue, while the Taliban warned that such military action would further intensify tensions.
With both governments offering sharply different accounts of the casualties and targets, the latest strikes have added another layer to an already tense relationship. Apparently, the border dispute needed another complication—this time with airstrikes and competing casualty figures.
