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Pakistan’s military says its warplanes struck militant camps inside eastern Afghanistan this week, killing scores of fighters and destroying a so‑called “suicide‑bombers training markaz.” The Taliban government in Kabul calls that claim a lie and says the strikes hit homes in Kunar and Paktika, killing civilians. The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has backed Kabul’s count of at least three civilian deaths. This clash is the latest round in a dangerous pattern of cross‑border strikes and blame‑throwing.
What happened: Pakistan airstrikes and the immediate fallout
Pakistan’s Information Ministry posted a blunt account: three targets destroyed, 28 terrorists killed and a training center for suicide bombers wiped out. Islamabad tied the strikes to a murderous attack inside Pakistan — a mosque and police compound assault in Kohat that left dozens dead — and said it would act if Kabul did not stop militants using Afghan soil. The Taliban’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, called the strikes a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and said members of a family were killed. UNAMA confirmed at least three civilian deaths in Kunar, adding an independent voice to the dispute.
Why this matters: security, sovereignty and the risk of escalation
Cross‑border violence like this is not a local spat. It risks a wider tit‑for‑tat cycle that will cost lives and wreck any fragile regional stability. Pakistan has a legitimate duty to protect its people from Tehrik‑e‑Taliban Pakistan and allied groups. But using air power across an international border, without clear public evidence and with civilian deaths reported, opens Pakistan to charges of overreach. At the same time, the Taliban’s long record of tolerating or turning a blind eye to militants operating from Afghan borderlands makes their moral outrage ring thin.
Who’s really at fault?
Blame is not a neat, one‑box answer. The TTP and allied gangs bear primary responsibility for the attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban deserve blame too if they are allowing sanctuaries to persist — a sovereign power that tolerates proxies is complicit. Pakistan’s military also deserves scrutiny for rhetoric that inflames the mood, and for military actions that risk civilian lives. Calling opponents “khwarij” and crowing about sending fighters “to hell” might play well at home, but it doesn’t help de‑escalate across the border.
What should happen next: accountability and cooler heads
If Islamabad wants to break the cycle, it should present clear, verifiable evidence linking specific bases inside Afghanistan to the Kohat attack and allow neutral observers to check casualty reports. The Taliban must show, with action not words, that it will clamp down on TTP sanctuaries — otherwise diplomatic protests will sound hollow. The international community, including Muslim neighbors and the UN, should press both sides to avoid further strikes and to open channels for verification. Nobody gains from a slow burn that turns into a larger, bloodier fight — except the militants who thrive in chaos.
