Pakistan says its security forces carry out an intelligence-based ground operation along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, followed by “calibrated strikes,” killing 29 militants. Multiple outlets report that Information Minister Attaullah Tarar made the announcement on social media, stating the action responds to recent terrorist incidents inside Pakistan, including attacks affecting people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and an attack involving the Pakistan Rangers in Karachi. Reuters coverage cited by Al-Monitor adds that the operation includes both ground and air components. Pakistan says it targeted terrorist hideouts and “safe havens” in the border region. Al-Monitor/Reuters also reports that four fighters linked to Jamaat-ul-Ahrar were killed in the ground attacks, with the group described as a faction of the Pakistani Taliban.
Afghan authorities, including the Taliban, dispute or supplement parts of the account from their side, saying dozens were killed in air strikes in border areas. Coverage also notes that Kabul protests the strikes. The reports do not provide independent confirmation of the full casualty figures beyond the claims from the two sides.
