Islamabad, 23 February (HS): Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Sunday claimed that security forces had killed around 70 militants in airstrikes carried out along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

According to Chaudhry, the strikes targeted seven militant camps and hideouts in three areas inside Afghan territory. He described the operation as a major success and said it was conducted to counter cross-border militant activity.

Citing a media report, the minister said there was concrete evidence that most of those killed were Pakistani nationals linked to banned organisations, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh-Khorasan. He alleged that Afghanistan had been providing shelter to militants for a prolonged period.

Chaudhry stated that Pakistan was taking all necessary measures to safeguard the lives and property of its citizens. He added that Islamabad had hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades and extended economic assistance despite facing security and financial challenges of its own.

The minister accused Afghanistan’s interim government of failing to honour commitments made under the 2020 Doha agreement and of not taking adequate steps to curb militant activities. He said Pakistan had engaged in multiple rounds of dialogue with Kabul to address security concerns.

Chaudhry also claimed that the United Nations had reported the presence of more than two dozen militant organisations operating in Afghanistan. The latest development comes amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and Kabul following recent attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar