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Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s military carried out airstrikes in neighboring Afghanistan late Tuesday night, targeting hideouts of the armed group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Paktika province, security officials said.
Although no official statement was issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry or military media arm, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), sources confirmed to Al Jazeera that the attacks took place in Afghanistan’s Barmal district, near Pakistan’s tribal district South Waziristan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
Afghanistan’s interim government, ruled by the Afghan Taliban, also confirmed the attacks but insisted civilians were targeted. The Afghan Ministry of Defense stated that several refugees, including women and children, were killed or injured.
“The Pakistani side must understand that such arbitrary measures are not a solution to any problem,” said Enayatullah Khowarazami, spokesperson for the Afghan Defense Ministry. wrote on social media platform
The airstrikes, the second such incident this year, came just hours after Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadi, met Afghanistan’s interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul.
“Met with Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi today. Extensive discussions were held. Agreed to work together to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and promote peace and progress in the region,” Sadiq said posted on X.
Sadiq’s visit to Kabul, which included a meeting with Afghan Interim Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani on Monday, took place in a context of deteriorating relations between the two neighbors. According to analysts, ties are likely to deteriorate further after Tuesday evening’s strikes.
Increasing attacks
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan government of harboring armed groups, especially the TTP, which it says carries out cross-border attacks on Pakistani security forces.
Last week, TTP fighters claimed responsibility for killing at least 16 Pakistani soldiers in South Waziristan in one of the deadliest recent attacks on security personnel.
While the Afghan Taliban deny harboring armed groups or allowing their territory to be used for cross-border attacks, Pakistan claims the TTP conducts its operations from Afghan sanctuaries.
At a United Nations Security Council briefing last week, Pakistan said thousands of TTP fighters have sought shelter in Afghanistan.
“With 6,000 fighters, the TTP is the largest listed terrorist organization active in Afghanistan. With safe havens close to our border, it poses a direct and daily threat to Pakistan’s security,” Pakistani diplomat Usman Iqbal Jadoon said at the UN briefing.
Data shows a rise in attacks and fatalities, especially in the restive northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southwestern province of Balochistan, both of which border Afghanistan.
According to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, more than 1,500 violent incidents in the first ten months of this year resulted in at least 924 deaths. The victims included at least 570 law enforcement personnel and 351 civilians.
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based research organization, reported more than 856 attacks so far in 2024, up from the 645 incidents recorded in 2023.
Risk of retaliation
Pakistan claims it has repeatedly shared evidence with the Afghan Taliban about TTP operations, but claims these concerns have not been adequately addressed.
The Pakistani government launched a military campaign, Azm-e-Istehkam (“Resolve for Stability”), in June, and security analyst Amir Rana believes the current airstrikes are likely part of this operation.
“Discussions within military circles have focused on carrying out offensives on Afghan territory following the recent wave of attacks on security personnel. These attacks appear to have been triggered by last week’s attacks on soldiers,” Rana told Al Jazeera.
Rana, who is also director of Islamabad-based security think tank Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), further said that the Kabul visit of Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative to Afghanistan, may not be related to Tuesday’s airstrikes.
“Sadiq’s visit was more about conveying the government’s message to share its concerns about increasing attacks by TTP networks operating from Afghanistan and was likely a confidence-building exercise,” he added.
Ihsanullah Tipu, an Islamabad-based security analyst, said Pakistan has carried out at least four airstrikes on TTP hideouts in Afghanistan in recent years, including one in March.
However, Tipu added that a major flaw in Pakistan’s Afghanistan policy was its “inconsistent approach”.
“Historically, Pakistan’s approach has been personality-driven rather than strategy-driven. Actions such as cross-border airstrikes should be part of a comprehensive and well-planned policy rather than reactive measures,” Tipu, who is also co-founder of The Khorasan Diary, a security research portal, told Al Jazeera.
Tipu also suggested that while the Afghan government has promised retaliation, the real response could come from the TTP.
“The actual response could come from the Pakistani Taliban, who have already discussed revenge attacks in their internal communications, claiming that the attacks killed their women and children,” Islamabad-based Tipu said.
PIPS’ Rana said such cross-border attacks are becoming a norm worldwide, and said Pakistan is unlikely to face any criticism or consequences from the international community for the airstrikes.
“But this also poses a great challenge to us, and a matter for being introspective, that despite forty years of involvement in Afghanistan, we have still not developed the diplomatic skills to engage in a constructive dialogue with the rulers in Afghanistan, who whatever it may be. ” said Rana.
Tipu, meanwhile, stressed that the TTP issue remains a major obstacle to Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.
“With the reappointment of Sadiq as special envoy, there was hope for detente between the two countries. However, Tuesday’s strikes could significantly hinder any progress before it formally begins,” he said.