Pakistani security forces carried out airstrikes and a ground operation along the Afghanistan border on June 29, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stating that 29 fighters were killed — a figure reported as 25 in some outlets, reflecting different stages of official statements [1][5][6] — and three targets in the provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar were destroyed in what he called "precision strikes" [2][3][4]. The Taliban government issued a simultaneous condemnation, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid describing the operations as a "cowardly act of aggression" that killed or wounded dozens of Afghan civilians, including women and children [3][7][10].
The immediate trigger, according to Pakistani officials and multiple international outlets, was a bomb and gun attack on the paramilitary Rangers headquarters in Karachi that killed three soldiers [2][7][9]. The TTP breakaway faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the Karachi assault [2][3][9]. An arrested attacker, identified as Usman Ali, reportedly told investigators he had traveled to Pakistan from Jalalabad, Afghanistan, approximately a week before the attack [4].
Attaullah Tarar stated that the cross-border operations targeted hideouts of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and what Pakistan's military terms "Fitna al Khawarij," and that a high-value commander was among those killed [4][9]. "Pakistan has always strived for maintaining peace and stability in the region, but at the same time shall not compromise on the safety and security of our citizens, which remains our top priority," Tarar said [4][9]. Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, stated that peace could only prevail if the Taliban regime "renounced their support for terrorism and terrorist organisations" [4].
The Taliban government's account diverges from Pakistan's on every material point regarding who was struck. Deputy spokesman Hamdulá Fitrat stated that "el Ejército paquistaní, en su papel de agresor, ha llevado a cabo ataque aéreos contra la población civil" (the Pakistani army, in its role as aggressor, carried out airstrikes against the civilian population) in the districts of Giyan, Chamkani, and Manogai, where "decenas de civiles, entre ellos mujeres y niños, han perdido la vida o resultado heridos" (dozens of civilians, including women and children, lost their lives or were wounded) [8]. Independent Urdu reported the Taliban's figure of 46 civilian deaths, while Pakistani security sources maintained the bombing was directed at terrorist hideouts [13]. Der Spiegel cited local media reporting over 30 killed and more than 100 injured [5]. The discrepancy between Pakistan's count of 29 militants killed and the Taliban's civilian casualty figures remains unresolved, with no independent verification from the strike zones available.
The June 29 strikes occurred against a backdrop of months of cross-border hostilities. Earlier in 2026, UN agencies documented verified civilian casualties from previous rounds of Pakistani airstrikes. The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan confirmed 13 civilian deaths, mostly women and children, in a June round of strikes [12]. Le Monde reported UNAMA figures from late February to early March showing at least 42 Afghan civilians killed and 104 wounded [23]. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk cited a toll of 56 Afghan civilians killed since the broader conflict began, nearly half of them children, with 129 wounded [21][22]. UN News called for an immediate cessation of hostilities [21].
Human Rights Watch condemned a March 16 Pakistani airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul as an unlawful attack and a possible war crime, noting that international agencies reported at least 143 people killed [19]. BBC News reported forensic lab sources citing more than 100 deaths from that single strike, while Taliban representatives claimed a toll as high as 400 [20], with UNAMA calling it a possible violation of international law [20].
UN human rights experts questioned the legality of Pakistan's cross-border operations more broadly, arguing they likely violate Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against another state's territorial integrity, and noting Pakistan's failure to notify the UN Security Council when invoking self-defense [17]. An analysis published by South Asian Voices examined the legal contradictions in Pakistan's position, noting that Islamabad had previously condemned similar cross-border strikes by other states [16]. India's Ministry of External Affairs, through spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, condemned the airstrikes as a violation of Afghanistan's sovereignty and accused Pakistan of blaming external actors for its internal failures [15].
Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations directorate described the Karachi attackers as "belonging to Indian proxy, Jamaatul Ahrar" [4]. The Long War Journal published an analysis arguing that Pakistan's characterization of TTP factions as Indian proxies lacks presented evidence and represents an attempt to shift responsibility for domestic counterterrorism failures [24]. India's foreign ministry statement rejecting the proxy framing and Pakistan's military statement asserting it occupy opposite ends of this dispute [15][4].
Diplomatic efforts have not produced lasting results. Al Jazeera and The Guardian reported that Chinese mediation and other peace talks briefly eased tensions earlier in 2026 but failed to prevent recurring military operations [2][7]. RFI reported that shortly after Chinese mediation was announced, the Taliban accused Pakistan of bombing Kabul and Kandahar, leading to renewed hostilities [18]. War on the Rocks published an assessment examining whether Pakistan's coercive military pressure can compel a change in Taliban behavior, noting that Pakistan declared "open war" in February and that the border has remained largely closed since October [25][6].
The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan remains closed, and no ceasefire or new mediation initiative has been announced [6][25]. No Afghan civilians, local elders, or humanitarian workers from the struck areas have been quoted in available reporting, leaving the central question of who was killed on June 29 contested between two governments with no independent corroboration from the ground.