Pakistan kills 29 militants in cross‑border operation near Afghanistan

Pakistan’s security forces said a ground operation and precision air strikes near the Afghan border killed 29 militants on June 28‑29. The action, carried out in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and targeting hideouts in Afghanistan’s Paktia, Kunar and Paktika provinces, was presented as retaliation for a series of recent attacks inside Pakistan, including the assault on the Sindh Rangers headquarters in Karachi that left three soldiers dead. The attack on the Karachi base was claimed by Jamaat‑ul‑Ahrar, a splinter group of the Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In response, Pakistan summoned Afghanistan’s charge d’affaires to protest what it called Afghan‑based militant activity, while Kabul protested alleged Pakistani air strikes on civilian homes, accusing Islamabad of violating its airspace and sovereignty. The escalation has heightened tensions along the Durand Line, with both sides exchanging diplomatic protests and warning of further action. These developments form part of an ongoing series of cross‑border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The confrontation follows a broader pattern of tit‑for‑tat strikes that have killed hundreds since early 2024, and it underscores the fragile security situation along the 2,600‑km border.