Islamabad is reportedly preparing to launch large-scale air strikes on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts inside Afghanistan, according to top government and military sources quoted by CNN-News18. The move, which risks a sharp escalation of regional tensions, comes after weeks of rising militant violence and mounting losses for Pakistani security forces.
CNN-News18 reported that the decision to target TTP sanctuaries across the Durand Line was finalised during a high-level apex security meeting on Sunday chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir and senior civil and military officials were present. The plan underscores how Islamabad’s long-tolerated double game with militants is now backfiring, forcing it to contemplate military action on Afghan soil.
In just the past week, around 50 Pakistani soldiers have been killed in TTP-led attacks, particularly in Bannu, Lower Dir and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A senior Foreign Office official told CNN-News18 that Islamabad has formally conveyed its “deep concerns” to Beijing and Washington over the growing threat, effectively seeking external backing for a crisis of its own making.
Pakistan appeals to US for help in targeting TTP
CNN-News18 said Pakistan has sought US assistance in providing satellite coordinates of known TTP hideouts under the existing counter-terrorism cooperation framework between the two countries. This request highlights Pakistan’s continued dependence on external partners despite its long history of nurturing militant groups for strategic leverage.
A senior Pakistani envoy is expected to travel to Kabul soon to deliver a blunt message from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the Afghan Taliban leadership: “Choose between Pakistan and the TTP.” This signals a breaking point in Islamabad’s patience with the Taliban’s unwillingness or inability to rein in the TTP operating freely from Afghan soil.
Growing risk of escalation across the Durand Line
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Sharif publicly blamed militants based in Afghanistan for carrying out attacks on Pakistani territory, warning that Islamabad “will not remain silent spectators anymore.” Military sources told CNN-News18 that upcoming air strikes could hit targets on both sides of the Durand Line, a move that would almost certainly trigger a serious escalation if Afghan Taliban forces retaliate.
According to CNN-News18, Pakistan’s increasingly aggressive posture reflects a new consensus within its security establishment that the time for restraint has passed and decisive action is now unavoidable. Yet critics point out that decades of Pakistani policy enabling militant networks have contributed to the very threat Islamabad is now struggling to contain, making any new military adventure fraught with risk.
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