Pakistan says security forces killed 29 militants in border operation

Pakistan's security forces conducted a ground operation and air strikes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, killing 29 militants, officials said. The action was described as a response to a series of attacks by armed groups across the country, according to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who posted details on social media.

"Three targets in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar were destroyed during precision strikes," Tarar wrote on X, referring to the eastern Afghan provinces.

The operation targeted hideouts and safe havens of the Pakistan Taliban, a militant group distinct from the Afghan Taliban but allied with it. The strikes come a day after gunmen and bombers attacked the regional headquarters of the paramilitary Rangers in Karachi, killing three soldiers. Security forces killed three attackers and detained another, identified as an Afghan national.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Pakistan Taliban, claimed responsibility for the Karachi attack. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of sheltering militants who launch attacks inside Pakistan, a charge the Kabul administration denies.

The latest cross-border action follows weeks of tit-for-tat strikes between the two neighbours, which have resulted in hundreds of deaths since February. International mediation efforts, including talks hosted by China, have so far failed to produce a lasting cease-fire.