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Pakistan strikes Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Fitna al-Khwarij camps in Afghanistan after Karachi Rangers attack

Under Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, Pakistani forces hit camps in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar overnight June 28-29, killing 29 militants by Islamabad's count; Afghan officials report 36 civilians dead and 160 wounded, including women and children

Conflicts·Leaders· escalating How Wars Actually End·What They're Not Saying ·12 takes · ·rbtfl upd Jul 1, 2026
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developments

  1. UNAMA released an independent count of 28 civilian deaths from the strikes: 22 killed and 47 wounded in Chamkani district of Paktia (the deadliest hit at around 23:30 local time), 6 killed in Gyan district of Paktika, and 2 children injured in Kunar's Marawara district. Afghanistan and Pakistan each summoned the other's top diplomat to protest. UN human rights experts stated the strikes violate Article 2 of the UN Charter's prohibition on the use of force, citing lack of credible evidence linking Afghan authorities to the Karachi attack. ↗

The split

The same story, as told by newsrooms in different countries. Their words, attributed and linked.

United States

NBC News

“Pakistan airstrikes kill dozens in latest cross-border tension with Afghanistan.”

US network; first major Anglophone outlet to aggregate Pakistani and Afghan casualty claims togetherread the original ↗

Pakistan

The Express Tribune

“Pakistan strikes Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Fitna al-Khawarij camps under Ghazab Lil Haq after Karachi Rangers attack.”

Pakistani English-language daily; leads with the Karachi Rangers attack as the trigger and quotes Information Minister Attaullah Tarar's X post claiming precision strikes on terrorist infrastructureread the original ↗

United States

ABC News (AP Wire)

“Pakistani airstrikes kill 36 civilians in Afghanistan and wound 160, officials say.”

AP global wire; leads with Afghan officials' civilian casualty count, contrasting sharply with Pakistan's militant framingread the original ↗

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Summary

Pakistan's military launched a new round of strikes under the ongoing Operation Ghazab Lil Haq overnight June 28-29, targeting Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Fitna al-Khwarij camps in Afghanistan's Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar posted videos on X claiming precision strikes destroyed safe havens used by cross-border militants; a separate ground operation near Bajaur district killed four fighters, including a commander. The trigger was a Saturday night assault on the Pakistan Rangers regional headquarters in Karachi, in which three soldiers were killed. Islamabad puts the militant toll at 29; Afghan officials say 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 160 wounded, and Kabul called the strikes a violation of Afghan sovereignty.

Why it matters

UNAMA's independent count of 28 civilian deaths diverges sharply from both Pakistan's claimed militant toll of 29 and Afghanistan's figure of 36 civilians, but confirms the strikes killed non-combatants in residential areas. The mutual diplomat summons marks formal diplomatic rupture. UN human rights experts have now stated the strikes violate Article 2 of the UN Charter's prohibition on the use of force, citing no credible evidence linking Afghan authorities to the Karachi attack, which introduces international legal exposure for Islamabad. The core dispute over who has the right to define a terrorist on the other side of the Durand Line shows no sign of resolution.

What to watch

  • UNAMA's final verified casualty count and whether it triggers a UN Security Council debate.
  • Whether either government recalls its ambassador or the diplomatic rupture deepens.
  • Whether Pakistan conducts further cross-border strikes or shifts to diplomatic pressure.
  • OHCHR and UN expert follow-up on the Article 2 violation finding.

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