ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces carried out overnight strikes targeting military installations linked to the Afghan Taliban in Kabul and Nangarhar Province, security sources said on Tuesday, as Pakistan continues its cross-border campaign under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq.
The operation, launched on February 26 following what officials described as unprovoked firing from across the border, has involved a series of strikes against installations allegedly used to support militant activity targeting Pakistan.
According to security sources, the latest strikes destroyed technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities at two locations in Kabul. In Nangarhar, Pakistani forces reportedly hit four military installations, damaging logistics hubs, weapons stockpiles and associated infrastructure.
Officials also claimed that a drone assembly workshop and a command centre used to launch drones were destroyed during the strikes. Security sources alleged that some of the drones were assembled using components originating from India and Israel.
The sources said the Pakistan Air Force continued operations late into the night, targeting six locations in Kabul and Nangarhar. Preliminary reports suggested that several militants were killed in the strikes.
Earlier operations were also carried out in border areas of Kurram District and Bajaur District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security forces targeted and destroyed hideouts used by militants and members of what authorities refer to as “Fitna al-Khawarij,” a term used for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Security officials said several militants were killed during the operations while others fled the area. Guided missiles were also used to destroy Taliban posts across the Pakistan–Afghanistan border in the Bajaur sector.
On Sunday, Pakistani forces had reportedly struck targets in Kandahar Province, destroying technical support infrastructure and equipment storage facilities. Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s information minister, confirmed the action and said a tunnel allegedly used by militants had also been destroyed.
Later the same day, Tarar said four civilians were killed and a child injured when Afghan Taliban forces allegedly fired artillery and mortar shells across the border into Bajaur district.
Pakistan Rejects Rumors, Fake News
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan) rejected claims by a Taliban spokesperson that a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul had been targeted during the strikes. The ministry described the allegation as false and said Pakistani forces had carried out “precise operations” aimed only at militant infrastructure.
Separately, the Foreign Office dismissed media reports suggesting that Pakistan had declined China’s offer to facilitate talks between Islamabad and Kabul. Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan and China maintained close communication on regional matters and that speculation regarding the issue was unwarranted.
Earlier on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated China’s willingness to help ease tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, urging both sides to return to dialogue and avoid further escalation.
Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Taliban administration to dismantle militant sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the TTP, which Islamabad says have been responsible for a resurgence in cross-border attacks since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Terrorism Events Reported in Bannu, Pakistan
Separately, two people were abducted and later killed in terror related incidents in Bannu District, police sources said.
In one case, armed men abducted Malik Nabiullah and three others from Domel Tehsil. The three were later released, but Nabiullah was taken to an unknown location and shot dead. His body was later recovered from the area.
In another incident near Tochi Bridge in the Bakakhel area, a young man identified as Shazeb Khan was abducted from his village and later found dead by the roadside.
Meanwhile, police said they thwarted a militant attack on the Fatah Khel police post after officers detected suspicious movement using thermal cameras and opened fire, forcing the attackers to flee.
Bannu district has witnessed repeated security incidents in recent months, prompting intensified operations by law enforcement agencies to counter militant threats in the region.