By Zahid Shah 

ISLAMABAD – Pakistani defense and political analysts have described the recent attacks by terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory as “open aggression” against Pakistan, as the country grapples with a sharp rise in deadly violence.

Abdul Saboor, a Pakistani journalist covering the security issues, said recent incidents -- including an attack on a Frontier Constabulary convoy in Karak in which personnel were reportedly burned alive, the killing of DSP Asad Mahmood in Shakardara, Kohat, and suicide bombings in Bhakkar, Bannu, and Bajaur -- were clearly linked to militants based in Afghanistan.

“These attacks, even during the sacred month of Ramadan, show that the perpetrators have no regard for religion or human life,” he said, referring to what Pakistani officials describe as the Afghan Taliban authorities’ failure to act against groups Islamabad labels as “Fitna al-Khawarij,” which officials claim are Indian-sponsored terrorist groups.

“It is the responsibility of the Afghan Taliban to stop them from using their territory or hand them over to Pakistan if Kabul is unable to control them,” he added.

On Saturday night, Pakistan’s military conducted intelligence-based airstrikes targeting what it described as seven terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to Afghanistan-based militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar, Paktika, and Khost provinces.

Islamabad described the operation as a “retributive response” to a wave of recent attacks inside Pakistan, including a suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad, multiple assaults in Bajaur and Bannu, and the killing of six law enforcement personnel -- including a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Kohat district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the strikes were “precise and accurate,” claiming that nearly 80 militants were neutralized in the operation.

The situation further deteriorated overnight with fresh border clashes between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban forces. These confrontations mark one of the most direct military escalations between the two neighbors in recent months, risking further destabilization of an already volatile frontier.

- President Zardari warning 

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari issued a forceful statement on Sunday, declaring that Pakistan’s “tolerance for cross-border terrorism has reached its limit.” He emphasized that Pakistan’s actions stem from its “inherent right to defend its people against terrorism emanating from across its borders” and follow repeated warnings that went unheeded.

Zardari pointed to a recent United Nations Security Council report confirming that multiple militant groups, including the TTP, ISKP, and Al-Qaeda, “are present in Afghanistan” and “have used or are continuing to use Afghanistan to plan and prepare external attacks.”

“It is regrettable that despite clear warnings and repeated engagement, the Afghan authorities failed to take credible and verifiable action against these elements,” he added.

- A wave of violence in Ramadan 

The backdrop to this military escalation is a surge in terrorist attacks during the holy month of Ramadan.

On Tuesday evening, a suicide bomber struck the Dajil Inter-Provincial Checkpost in Punjab’s Bhakkar district, killing two policemen and injuring several others, including three civilians. The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack, as well as for a separate ambush in Kohat that killed six police personnel.

In a strongly worded statement issued following these incidents, Pakistani officials condemned the perpetrators.

Political analyst Fakhar Kakakhel said such attacks during the holy month of Ramadan “clearly demonstrate that the perpetrators have no connection with Islam or Pashtun traditions.”

“It is not only against Islamic principles but also against Pakhtun traditions,” he said.

Amid the escalating crisis, Pakistani analysts urged national unity to fight and eliminate terrorism, saying the fight is “not solely the responsibility of the armed forces, police, or Frontier Corps, but requires the unity of the entire nation.”

Saboor added that “political, religious, or ideological differences should not divide the nation,” and that eliminating these terrorists requires complete national cohesion.

Pakistan has alleged that India is behind terrorism inside the country and that recent attacks were carried out by militants trained in Afghanistan.

“This war against the State and people of Pakistan requires that we rise above political affiliations and collectively confront terrorism sponsored from Afghanistan and India,” Kakakhel said.

“National security, dignity, and the protection of citizens’ lives and property must take precedence over political considerations.”

Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have escalated significantly since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. Pakistan maintains that cross-border militant attacks have increased since then and accuses the Taliban of failing to honor commitments under the 2020 Doha Agreement to prevent Afghan soil from being used for attacks against other countries.

The Taliban deny allowing such activity.

The latest exchange of fire and accusations threatens to further strain already fragile ties along the volatile 2,600-kilometer border.

However, for Pakistan, the message is clear: “These handful of terrorists, acting at the behest of external sponsors, will be decisively defeated through national cohesion, collective honor, and traditional resolve.”