Pakistan has defended its recent military operations inside Afghanistan, saying the strikes were aimed exclusively at militant hideouts operating under the protection of the Taliban administration and were carried out with precise intelligence to dismantle terrorist networks threatening regional security.
Speaking on Monday, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the operations targeted infrastructure used by militant groups launching attacks from Afghan territory into Pakistan. Tarar stressed that Pakistan’s actions were focused strictly on militant targets and did not include deliberate attacks on civilian areas.
“Our operations are intelligence-based and aimed solely at dismantling terrorist infrastructure,” he said, adding that civilian populations were never the intended targets of the strikes.
The minister said that since the beginning of the campaign, Pakistani forces had targeted 64 militant-linked locations across Afghanistan believed to be used for planning and launching attacks.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban authorities of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, to operate freely from Afghan soil. Islamabad argues that these sanctuaries pose a direct threat to Pakistan’s security and regional stability.
Tarar also dismissed casualty figures circulated by Taliban authorities as unreliable, saying such claims were frequently used as propaganda to deflect attention from the Taliban’s failure to curb extremist groups operating within Afghanistan.
His remarks came after the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported that at least 56 Afghan civilians were allegedly killed and 129 wounded during recent clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters.
Tarar responded by noting that international organizations often rely on information provided by the Taliban administration, raising concerns about the credibility and verification of such reports.
Pakistan maintains that its actions are a direct response to persistent cross-border attacks originating from militant networks based inside Afghanistan. Officials say the responsibility for escalating tensions lies with the Taliban authorities, who have repeatedly failed to dismantle terrorist infrastructure despite international obligations.
Tarar warned that Pakistan would continue to act decisively against threats emerging from Afghan territory. “If hostile actions continue, Pakistan will respond swiftly and target militants and their supporters wherever they operate,” he said, adding that facilities used by militant networks, including some linked to Taliban military structures, could also become legitimate targets.
Security analysts say the growing confrontation underscores the widening rift between Pakistan and the Taliban leadership, whose inability or unwillingness to curb extremist groups has increasingly strained relations and heightened regional security concerns.
