Pakistani security forces conducted precision strikes on camps belonging to the Gul Bahadur group along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border in North and South Waziristan, the military said, announcing the operation as a response to repeated attacks and attempted infiltrations. According to the statement, militants operating from Afghan territory tried to mount several attacks inside Pakistan during a 48‑hour ceasefire; those attempts were reportedly repelled by Pakistani forces. The military said the group also carried out a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack in North Waziristan that killed civilians and one soldier and injured others.
In the strikes carried out overnight, Pakistani authorities claimed that between 60 and 70 militants, including local group leaders, were killed based on confirmed intelligence. The statement framed the operation as necessary to protect Pakistan’s territorial integrity and the safety of its citizens, and it warned that Islamabad would not permit militant groups operating from Afghan soil to use those areas as safe havens.
The Pakistani statement also rejected allegations that civilians were deliberately targeted, calling such assertions false and accusing them of aiming to generate sympathy for militants. Islamabad reiterated its position that the underlying problem is cross‑border militancy allegedly supported by external actors and argued that a durable solution requires Afghan authorities to rein in non‑state armed groups. At the same time, the statement said Pakistan remains open to resolving the issue through dialogue but reserved the right to act in self‑defense.
Independent verification of the casualty figures and operational details was not provided in the statement. The developments are likely to increase tensions between Islamabad and Kabul and are expected to draw attention from regional and international stakeholders concerned with cross‑border militancy and stability along the Pakistan–Afghanistan frontier.
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