Pakistan Ground Operations and Strikes Kill Dozens in Afghanistan
Primary region Asia
Tags Security
Regions Asia
Pakistan carried out ground operations and strikes along the Afghan border, killing 29 people it described as militants, according to the Associated Press published via PBS NewsHour on June 28, 2026. The Taliban government in Kabul said civilians were killed; Pakistan maintained it targeted militant positions. Hundreds of people have been killed in cross-border fighting since February, in the most sustained series of clashes between the two neighbors in years.
Strategic interpretation
Pakistan willingness to conduct cross-border ground operations signals declining tolerance for the Taliban government harboring of TTP militants. The civilian casualties risk drawing Afghan public opinion further against Pakistan and could push the Taliban toward closer ties with regional actors less enthusiastic about Islamabad security agenda.