By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD— Pakistan said on Wednesday that its security forces carried out targeted strikes against militant hideouts along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, killing 26 terrorists involved in planning and coordinating recent attacks inside the country.

In a statement posted on X, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the operation was launched in response to a series of terrorist incidents, including an attack on a Federal Constabulary post in Musa Dara on June 9, a vehicle-borne suicide attack on a military post in North Waziristan on June 2, and an assault on a police station in Bannu on May 9.

Tarar said the strikes targeted hideouts and safe havens used by leaders and planners belonging to what Pakistan refers to as “Fitna Al Khwarij.” He described the operation as “precise and calibrated” and said it was based on credible intelligence.

According to the minister, four key targets were completely destroyed during the operation, including a training center, a militant hideout, an ammunition cache, and command facilities linked to militant commanders identified as Aleem Khan Khushali and Akhtar Muhammad Jani Khel.

“Selective targeting of camps and hideouts was carried out with precision and accuracy,” Tarar said, adding that the operation resulted in the deaths of 26 militants.

Tarar said Islamabad remains committed to maintaining peace and stability in the region but stressed that protecting Pakistani citizens remains the government's foremost responsibility.

He said the country's counterterrorism campaign, conducted under the national security framework known as “Azm-e-Istehkam,” would continue without interruption.

“Our relentless counterterrorism campaign under the vision of Azm-e-Istehkam by the security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” he said.

His statement came after Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Pakistani air force targeted three eastern provinces, killing 13 civilians, including children.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in militant violence in recent years, particularly in the northwestern provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Pakistani authorities frequently blame the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied groups for attacks targeting security forces, government installations, and civilians.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan's Taliban-led government of failing to prevent militants from using Afghan territory to plan and launch cross-border attacks, an allegation Kabul denies. The issue has strained relations between the neighboring countries and led to periodic border tensions and military operations.

In February, Pakistan said it targeted alleged militant hideouts in eastern Afghanistan following a series of attacks inside Pakistan. The two countries later experienced some of their deadliest border clashes in March before agreeing to a ceasefire and holding China-mediated talks aimed at improving border security and bilateral relations.