Pakistan Airstrikes in Afghanistan

Pakistan launched airstrikes in Afghanistan, targeting seven locations in Nangarhar, Paktika, and Khost provinces, resulting in over 80 deaths. These strikes were a retaliatory response to recent suicide attacks in Pakistan, which Islamabad blames on handlers based in Afghanistan and linked to Pakistani Taliban and Islamic State – Khorasan Province elements. Pakistan's State Minister for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, stated that nearly 70 militants were 'neutralized' in the cross-border operation. Afghanistan has rejected Pakistan's allegations, maintaining that Pakistan's security challenges are internal. Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, with ongoing border clashes and accusations of failing to uphold the 2020 Doha Agreement.