ISLAMABAD: Pakistan carried out intelligence-based strikes targeting seven terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to Fitna al Khawarij (FAK), its affiliates and the Daesh-Khorasan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in response to recent suicide attacks, the government said early Sunday.

According to the Ministry of Information, the operation was conducted “with precision and accuracy” as a retributive response to suicide bombing incidents in Islamabad, Bajaur and Bannu during the holy month of Ramadan.

“The suicide attacks were carried out by khawarij on the direction of Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers,” the ministry said, adding that responsibility for the attacks was also claimed by Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) linked to FAK and Daesh.

The ministry said despite repeated requests urging the Afghan Taliban authorities to take verifiable measures to stop the use of Afghan territory by terrorist groups and foreign proxies, “no substantive action was taken.”

It said Pakistan has always worked for peace and stability in the region, but “the safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority.”

Pakistan expects the interim Afghan government to fulfil its obligations and prevent the use of its territory by terrorist groups against Pakistan, the statement said.

The ministry also called on the international community to play a constructive role by encouraging Afghan authorities to honour their commitments under the Doha Agreement to prevent the use of Afghan soil against other countries, saying such steps are vital for regional and global peace and security.

Sources say that an explosion targeted a militant hideout in the Barmal area of Afghanistan’s Paktika province, with jet aircraft carrying out an airstrike that destroyed militant infrastructure.

Following the strike in Paktika, another attack was reported in the Khogyani district of Nangarhar province, with further airstrikes later reported in the Ghani Khel, Behsud and Argoon areas. The number of possible militant casualties could not be confirmed, said Afghan media.

The airstrikes came hours after security forces gunned down five terrorists belonging to the India-backed Fitna al-Khawarij during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, the military said.

However, two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, embraced martyrdom when their convoy was targeted by militants, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The military’s media wing stated on Saturday that the operation was conducted following reports of the presence of terrorists, including a suicide bomber.

A vehicle-borne suicide bomber was intercepted by the leading group, foiling his plan to target innocent civilians or law enforcement personnel in Bannu City and averting a major catastrophe, the military said.

During the operation, the terrorists were located, and after an intense exchange of fire, five militants were killed by the security forces. In a desperate act, the terrorists rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into one of the vehicles of the leading group.

“As a result, Lt Colonel Shahzada Gul Faraz (43), a resident of district Mansehra and a brave commanding officer known for his daring leadership at the front, embraced shahadat along with Sepoy Karamat Shah (28), a resident of district Peshawar,” the ISPR added.

It said that the Afghan Taliban regime has once again failed to prevent militants from using Afghan soil for terrorist activities inside Pakistan, even during the holy month of Ramadan.

“Pakistan will not exercise any restraint, and operations will continue against the perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act, irrespective of their location,” the ISPR added.

Meanwhile, confirming the strikes inside Afghanistan, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, in a post on X, said that “those who weave conspiracies against Pakistan have once again received a clear message that this land is not weak, it has been strengthened by the blood of martyrs”.

“The timely and effective action of the Pakistan Air Force on the hideouts of the Fitna al Khawarij, who were nurtured under Indian patronage in Afghanistan, is actually the revenge of those innocent lives that were thrown into the fire of terrorism.”

“This was not just an operation, it was the answer to the tears of every mother who sacrificed her son for the homeland, it was the defence of the dreams of every child who wants a safe Pakistan,” added the minister.

Islamabad-Kabul at odds
Pakistan’s latest strikes in the border region with Afghanistan come days after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif expressed Islamabad’s readiness to strike again if authorities in Kabul fail to provide credible assurances of peace.

Noting that Pakistan will not hesitate to conduct new strikes on Afghanistan, unless someone in Kabul can underwrite peace, Defence Minister Asif had stressed.

The two countries, back in October 2025, were engaged in border clashes after the Afghan Taliban and militants launched unprovoked attacks against Pakistan’s border posts.

The resulting clashes led to the killing of over 200 Taliban and affiliated militants, while 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred defending the motherland.

Pakistan also conducted “precision strikes” deep inside Afghanistan, targeting terrorists in Kandahar province and Kabul. However, despite many rounds of talks, both countries failed to reach a ceasefire due to the Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to take action against terrorist outfits.

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has seen an increase in cross-border terrorist activity, particularly in the provinces of KP and Balochistan, which share a border with Afghanistan.

A terrorist attack in Bajaur district on February 17, carried out by Indian proxies, martyred 11 security personnel while 12 militants were gunned down by security forces.

In a press briefing on January 6, ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry revealed that law enforcement agencies carried out a total of 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country in 2025.

Breaking it down regionally, he stated that KP witnessed 14,658 IBOs, Balochistan accounted for 58,778, and the remaining 1,739 operations took place across other parts of Pakistan.

Lt Gen Chaudhry reported that a total of 5,397 terrorist incidents occurred nationwide last year. KP accounted for the majority with 3,811 incidents, Balochistan recorded 1,557, and only 29 incidents were reported in the rest of the country.

He added that counterterrorism operations resulted in the elimination of 2,597 terrorists over the year. Highlighting the impact of these attacks, he detailed 10 major terror incidents targeting civilians and other soft targets, all of which involved militants operating from Afghanistan.