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Pakistan launches military operation along north-western border with Afghanistan
While there has been no formal announcement of the offensive, officials said the operation, which has displaced over 100,000 people already, is aimed at insurgent strongholds.
Pakistani security forces have launched a targeted military operation against militant hideouts in Bajaur, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes, officials confirmed Tuesday.
While there has been no formal announcement of the offensive, local administrators said the operation is aimed at insurgent strongholds to minimise civilian casualties. “It is not a large-scale campaign — only militant hideouts are being targeted,” said Saeed Ullah, a senior government official in Bajaur.
The number of displaced people has surged to nearly 100,000, according to another official, Shahhid Ali. Provincial authorities have pledged 50,000 rupees (about $175) in compensation to each displaced family, while volunteers from the Al-Khidmat Foundation have begun distributing food aid.
Among those uprooted is 50-year-old Gul Wali, who said this was the second time he had been forced to leave his home.
“We were told we will return soon, but most houses in my village were destroyed in the 2009 operation,” he said from a government-run shelter. “We don’t know what will happen to our homes this time.”
Residents reported helicopter-backed strikes on militant positions in the mountainous Mamund area along the Afghan border. Provincial police chief Zulfiqar Hameed confirmed that operations were ongoing, but no details were available on casualties among security forces or militants.
Militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have intensified activity in the region in recent months, officials said. Bajaur, once a TTP stronghold, was the focus of a major military campaign in 2009 that displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Authorities declared victory the following year, allowing residents to return.
Pakistan on Friday summoned Afghan Deputy Head of Mission in Islamabad to convey “strong demarche” over a deadly attack on a military camp in North Waziristan District that killed four Pakistani soldiers.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack was carried out by a faction of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The statement said that Pakistan conveyed “grave concern over the continued support and facilitation” provided by the Islamic Emirate to TTP.
Pakistan has demanded “a full investigation and decisive action against the perpetrators and facilitators of the terrorist attacks launched against Pakistan from Afghan soil.”
It urged the Islamic Emirate “to take immediate, concrete and verifiable measures against all terror groups operating from its territory, including their leadership, and deny the continued use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.
According to the statement, the Islamic Emirate has been “categorically informed that Pakistan reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens, and will take all necessary measures to respond to terrorism originating from Afghan soil.”
Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are originated from Afghan soil, a charge the Islamic Emirate denies.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has underscored Afghanistan’s continued importance in regional cooperation, saying the country remains one of the key areas of interaction among regional partners.
Addressing the first summit of the “Central Asia Plus Japan” dialogue, Mirziyoyev said participating countries share a common aspiration to see Afghanistan become peaceful, stable, and oriented toward meaningful development.
The Uzbek president praised Japan’s longstanding and consistent support for Afghanistan, noting that Tokyo has for many years been among the leading donors and partners assisting the Afghan people.
He expressed confidence that coordinated efforts and joint contributions by regional countries and Japan would help improve living standards in Afghanistan, advance socio-economic and infrastructure development, and facilitate the country’s active involvement in regional economic projects.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan announced on Friday that the country has allocated $19.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Japanese Embassy said it hopes the aid will help bring positive change to the lives of vulnerable Afghans.
According to the statement, the assistance will cover the basic humanitarian needs of vulnerable communities in Afghanistan.
The embassy added that the aid will be delivered through United Nations agencies, international organizations, and Japanese non-governmental organizations operating in Afghanistan.
Japan’s total assistance to Afghanistan since August 2021 has reached more than $549 million.
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