Pakistani forces have carried out a new round of strikes targeting positions and vehicles linked to Taliban elements near the Chaman sector in Balochistan, following renewed cross-border shelling from Afghanistan. The escalation reflects a continuing deterioration in relations between the two neighbouring countries, with both sides increasingly exchanging allegations over attacks along the frontier and the resulting civilian harm.
According to reporting by Associated Press, the latest military action involved what officials described as precise and targeted operations against multiple locations allegedly used by fighters associated with the Afghan Taliban. These strikes were presented by Pakistan as a direct response to what it termed “unprovoked aggression” originating from across the border. The development has further strained ties despite recent diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.
Officials indicated that the operation was triggered by a series of recent incidents, including cross-border shelling that struck a residential structure near Chaman. The attack reportedly resulted in the death of one civilian and injuries to two others. In retaliation, Pakistani troops targeted what they described as militant hideouts and infrastructure believed to be associated with Taliban-linked groups operating in the region.
Security officials, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, stated that the strikes also focused on positions connected to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an outlawed organisation that Islamabad accuses the Afghan authorities of harbouring. Although distinct from the Afghan Taliban, the TTP is believed to maintain operational and ideological links with them, adding complexity to the already fragile relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, stated that the country’s armed forces had responded decisively to perceived threats, asserting that troops had successfully countered hostile intentions and delivered what he described as an appropriate and proportionate response to aggression along the border.
Security sources cited by Dawn indicated that these strikes are part of a broader and ongoing military initiative known as Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. This campaign, launched earlier in the year, aims to dismantle militant networks operating in border regions. After a temporary pause in March, the operation has resumed in response to continued cross-border attacks. Officials claimed that sustained military pressure has forced both Taliban-linked fighters and TTP militants—referred to by authorities as “Fitna al Khawarij”—to withdraw from certain positions.
Despite these developments, diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions appear to be faltering. Earlier in the month, talks between Islamabad and Kabul, facilitated by China, had resulted in an agreement to avoid escalation and pursue dialogue toward resolving disputes. However, the situation has since worsened.
Afghan authorities have accused Pakistan of launching mortar and missile strikes into civilian areas, including an attack on a university in Kunar province that reportedly killed four people and injured around 70 others. Pakistan has firmly rejected these allegations, describing them as baseless and characterising them as part of a broader pattern of misinformation.
At the centre of the dispute is Pakistan’s longstanding claim that Afghanistan provides a safe haven to militant groups responsible for attacks within its territory. The Afghan Taliban administration, which returned to power in 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led forces, has consistently denied these accusations and maintains that militancy within Pakistan is an internal issue rather than a cross-border concern.
