# 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

**Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-06-29 · heads: How Wars Actually End, What They're Not Saying · 5 takes · 4 lenses · 4 regions

## Summary

Pakistan's military launched a new round of strikes under the ongoing [Operation Ghazab Lil Haq](/en/n/pakistan-afghanistan-airstrikes-2026) 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

The Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict has run hot since February with no diplomatic off-ramp visible. Islamabad's position remains that cross-border sanctuary for groups like Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and the [TTP](/en/entity/pakistan-insurgency) makes Afghanistan's soil a legitimate target; Kabul's Taliban government says it does not harbour these groups and that Pakistani strikes amount to an act of war. A UN investigation into civilian casualties adds international pressure, but 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.

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### US network; first major Anglophone outlet to aggregate Pakistani and Afghan casualty claims together
- **NBC News** (United States, en) — Reports the overnight strikes under Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, attributing 29 militant deaths to Pakistan's official count and 36 civilian deaths plus 160 wounded to Afghan officials, and contextualises the operation as a direct response to the Saturday night assault on the Rangers regional HQ in Karachi.
  > "Pakistan airstrikes kill dozens in latest cross-border tension with Afghanistan."
  Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-airstrikes-border-tension-afghanistan-rcna352180

### 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 infrastructure
- **The Express Tribune** (Pakistan, en) — The Express Tribune presents Pakistan's official account: overnight ground operations near Bajaur killed four militants including a commander Khan Farosh alias Zabal, followed by air strikes on three camps, bringing the total to 29, described as Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Fitna al-Khwarij operatives responsible for cross-border attacks inside Pakistan.
  > "Pakistan strikes Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Fitna al-Khawarij camps under Ghazab Lil Haq after Karachi Rangers attack."
  Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2615551/pakistan-strikes-jamaat-ul-ahrar-fitna-al-khawarij-camps-in-afghanistan-under-ghazab-lil-haq

### AP global wire; leads with Afghan officials' civilian casualty count, contrasting sharply with Pakistan's militant framing
- **ABC News (AP Wire)** (United States, en) — AP's report foregrounds Afghan officials' account: 36 civilians killed, 160 wounded in what Kabul's spokesperson called indiscriminate attacks on residential areas. Notes the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan is investigating.
  > "Pakistani airstrikes kill 36 civilians in Afghanistan and wound 160, officials say."
  Source: https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/pakistani-airstrikes-kill-36-civilians-afghanistan-wound-160-134300449

### unlabelled
- **Al Jazeera** (Qatar, en) — 
  Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/29/pakistan-says-its-security-forces-killed-29-fighters-along-afghan-border
- **The Japan Times** (Japan, en) — 
  Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/06/29/asia-pacific/pakistan-airstrikes-afghanistan/

## Across the graph
- Related: [[pakistan-afghanistan-airstrikes-2026]], [[pakistan-ttp-bla-two-front-insurgency-2026]], [[pakistan-islamabad-mou-mediation]]
- Entities: Pakistan Insurgency, Sahel Insurgency

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Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/pakistan-ghazab-lil-haq-karachi-jun29