# 2024 Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan

On 25 December 2024, the Pakistani military conducted predawn airstrikes on multiple targets in Afghanistan's Paktika Province. Afghan officials said the attacks killed at least 47 terrorists and injured 23 others. Pakistani sources denied Afghan Taliban's claim of 47 casualties and maintained that terrorist infrastructure were targeted in which 20-25 terrorists belonging to the Pakistani Taliban were killed. Initial reports described the attacks as either rocket strikes or aerial strikes carried out by several Pakistan Air Force aircraft, with Afghan officials claiming that the operation involved Pakistani military helicopters and jets. Pakistan officially has not commented on the airstrikes but Pakistani military sources have anonymously have admitted that airstrikes were carried out by Pakistan, but later confirmed that drone strikes were involved, originating from inside Pakistani airspace.Some reports also mentioned that parts of Paktika Province were targeted.
This marks the third airstrike launched by Pakistan on Afghan soil since the fall of Kabul in 2021. The Pakistan airstrikes coincided the birthday of Pakistan's founder and followed the PAF's 2022 Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan and March 2024 Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan.

## Background

Since fall of Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan is confronted with renewed threat of terrorism as Afghanistan-based anti-Pakistan terrorist groups have been injected with fresh dose of strength mainly due to the victory of Taliban in Afghanistan. The fresh recruits, easy access to US made weapons, and a sanctuary under the shadow of Afghan Taliban have bolstered the Indian state backed terrorist organizations like Pakistani Taliban to launch terrorist attacks on Pakistan. In 2023, Pakistan saw an increase in terrorism related incidents, especially in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the banned militant group Pakistani Taliban terminated its ceasefire with the Pakistani government in November 2022. Subsequently, the year 2023 and 2024 have been deadliest year for Pakistan since Pakistan launched Operation Azm-e-Istehkam in regions bordering Afghanistan. The decade long anti-terrorism military campaigns resulted in major achievements for Pakistan till 2020 under its counter-terrorism strategy encompassed under National Action Plan. However, the security situation once again started to flare up with the establishment of Taliban's regime in Afghanistan that provided terrorist groups with safe sanctuaries to anti-Pakistan Islamist militant groups on Afghan soil. Resultantly Pakistan is facing a deadly escalation in militant violence — 757 people were killed and nearly as many injured in the first eight months of 2024, according to the data provided by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
Given the deteriorating law and order situation in the Pakistan's bordering regions with Afghanistan, Pakistan has launched Operation Azm-e-Istehkam since then Pakistan has frequently warned Afghanistan of retaliation if Afghanistan fails to act against ant-Pakistan terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil against Pakistan. Pakistan leadership has vowed to attack militant beyond its borders and repeatedly called upon Afghan government to deny its soil to anti-Pakistan terrorist groups. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued warning to Afghanistan on 2 July 2024 while stating that “It’s correct that we have been carrying out operations in Afghanistan, and we will continue to do so. We won’t serve them with cake and pastries. If attacked, we’ll attack back,” Mr Asif told BBC Urdu.
In the latest turn of events at least 16 paramilitary soldiers of Frontier Corps were killed on 21 December 2024. The attack was claimed by the Afghanistan-based terrorist group Pakistani Taliban on an outpost in South Waziristan, that also left eight terrorists killed in the clash.

## Target and Incident

In the response to the escalating terrorists attacks by the Afghanistan based terrorists, the Pakistan Air Force launched precision airstrikes on 25 December 2024. The airstrike was specifically triggered by the 21 December attack by the Pakistani Taliban against an outpost manned by Frontier Corps.
In the midst of 24-25 December night, the Pakistan Air Force struck on the seven locations located across four villages of Barmal District of Afghanistan Paktika province killing 20-25 terrorists. The villages targeted by PAF included Laman, Margha, and Murg Bazaar and four unspecified villages. Reports indicate that the Murg Bazaar village in Barmal was completely destroyed. The airstrikes took four High Value Targets(HVTs) that included terrorists camps and hideouts of key commanders, these included the compound of senior ranking Commander of TTP, Sher Zaman alias Mukhlis Yar's hideout, the Commander Abu Hamza's recruitment camp and Akhtar Muhammad alias Khalil suicide bombers camp. All of these commanders were using camps for recruitment and training young child suicide bombers and terrorists. The fourth target struck by PAF was the "Umar Media" cell of indian state backed terrorist group TTP, being headed by the TTP's commander Shoaib Iqbal Cheema alias Muneeb Jatt, from where the indian state backed terrorist group TTP propagated its digital propaganda. Afghan Taliban's Defence Ministry, the Afghan Taliban regime official spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed reports of the strike carried out by Pakistani forces, but claimed that the dead and injured included a number of children and other civilians. This is third subsequent incident of Pakistan launching attack on Afghan soil since the establishment of Taliban's regime in Afghanistan in 2021. The Afghan Government reported that 46 people had been killed, most of whom were children and women, and 6 more people were wounded, mostly children.
Pakistan officially has not commented on the airstrikes but Pakistani military sources have anonymously have admitted that airstrikes were carried out by Pakistan, but later confirmed that drone strikes were involved, originating from inside Pakistani airspace. Pakistan's foreign Ministry has also not directly commented on the strikes but its foreign ministry said the armed forces conducted “operations in border areas to protect the people of Pakistan from terrorist groups”.The Pakistan's foreign Ministry's spokesperson further added, “These counterterrorism operations are carefully selected and based on accurate intelligence”.

## Reactions

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan confirmed the airstrikes, The Taliban condemned the attacks and vowed retaliation.
The United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) claimed to have received credible reports of dozens of civilians killed, including women and children.
The Pakistani government, reiterated its stance that the airstrikes were aimed at eradicating foreign backed terrorist group TTP safe havens in Afghanistan. Pakistani authorities have long accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the TTP and enabling cross-border terrorism.
Internationally, the airstrikes have drawn mixed reactions, with some analysts supporting Pakistan's right to self-defense, while others condemned the strikes for causing casualties. These attacks are seen as part of the broader instability in the region following the Taliban's return to power and the shifting dynamics between Pakistan and Afghanistan.