Pakistan army chief warns of expanded operations against ‘militants in Afghanistan’
Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, warned that military operations targeting militant infrastructure and safe havens inside Afghanistan would intensify, as relations between Islamabad and the Taliban continue to deteriorate over security disputes.
Speaking at a high-level security meeting attended by senior military officials, Munir said the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan had produced “reverse consequences” for Pakistan’s security and contributed to rising threats inside the country.
He said Pakistan’s “Operation Ghazab-ul-Haq” would be expanded to target what he described as militant infrastructure and sanctuaries linked to attacks against Pakistan.
“The activity of terrorist groups in Afghanistan has increased security threats against Pakistan,” he said, according to remarks circulated by Pakistani media and military-linked accounts.
Taliban did not immediately respond to the latest comments. Taliban officials have repeatedly denied that armed groups use Afghanista’s territory to launch attacks against other countries, including Pakistan.
The dispute over militant sanctuaries has become one of the central sources of tension between the two neighbors since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Pakistani officials have increasingly accused Afghanistan-based militants, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, of carrying out attacks inside Pakistan.
Islamabad says the group operates from safe havens across the border, while Taliban insist they do not permit foreign militant activity on Afghanistan’s soil.
The renewed warning from Pakistan’s military comes amid rising cross-border tensions and periodic clashes along the frontier in recent months.
At the same time, Pakistani media reported that tribal elders from border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan had signed a cease-fire and peace agreement aimed at reducing tensions in the Kunar and Bajaur border areas.
According to the reports, the agreement followed days of negotiations between tribal representatives from both sides of the border and included five provisions intended to maintain a cease-fire and prevent further clashes.
The reports said Taliban representatives were not involved in the negotiations.
The emergence of tribal mediation efforts reflects growing concern among border communities over the escalating violence, which has disrupted daily life and displaced civilians in some areas.
Diplomatic efforts by regional countries — including China, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia — to ease tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban have so far produced little visible progress.
Recent clashes and military operations have also heightened concerns over civilian casualties. Local residents and aid groups have reported deaths and injuries from shelling and airstrikes in border regions, though casualty figures have often been difficult to independently verify.
Analysts say the increasingly confrontational rhetoric from both sides reflects a relationship that has shifted from cautious cooperation to a deeper political and security crisis.