Pakistan carried out retaliatory airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, targeting militant hideouts along the border.
Pakistani authorities reported at least 25 militants killed, while the Afghan government said dozens of civilians were killed or wounded.
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The military operation came after a weekend attack on the paramilitary Rangers headquarters in Karachi, which left three soldiers dead.
Pakistani officials said the strikes aimed to dismantle infrastructure used by insurgent factions operating near the frontier.
Strikes Target Specific Groups
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that the operations focused on border strongholds of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Fitna al-Khwarij—the latter a term Pakistan uses for the Pakistani Taliban.
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He said the strikes targeted hideouts and safe havens of these groups, which Islamabad blames for the Karachi attack.
Afghan authorities have repeatedly denied that their territory harbors militants. The Taliban government condemned the airstrikes as a "cowardly act of aggression," according to spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid.
He noted that the strikes hit multiple eastern provinces and caused significant casualties.
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The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan remains largely closed following a series of cross-border violence incidents that began in October.
