Pakistan killed 26 militants in targeted strikes along Afghan border

Pakistan on Wednesday said its military killed at least 26 militants in targeted fresh airstrikes along Afghanistan's border.

Pakistani security forces carried out targeted operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, striking militant hideouts in response to recent attacks inside the country, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a statement through US social media platform X.

Tarar said the operations were “precise and calibrated,” targeting locations used by militants, noting that 26 militants were killed in the strikes.

The minister said four targets were destroyed, including a training center, a hideout, an ammunition cache, and militant compounds linked to two commanders identified as Aleem Khan Khushali and Akhtar Muhammad Jani Khel.

"Pakistan has always strived for maintaining peace and stability in the region, but at the same time the safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority," he said.

His statement came after Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that Pakistani military aircraft violated Afghanistan's airspace last night, killing 13 civilians, including 11 children, in the eastern provinces of Kunar, Khost, and Paktika.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained high since February, when Pakistan said it struck alleged Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan hideouts in eastern Afghanistan, while Kabul denied accusations that it allows the group to operate from its territory.

The neighbors later agreed to a ceasefire after deadly March border clashes and subsequently held China-mediated talks in Urumqi aimed at improving bilateral ties and border stability.