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In the past week alone, Pakistan has lost around 50 soldiers in Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan-led attacks, especially in Bannu, Lower Dir, and other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Pakistan’s aggressive posture reflects a growing consensus within its security establishment that the time for restraint has passed.
Islamabad is preparing to launch massive air strikes on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts located in Afghanistan, in a dramatic escalation aimed at countering the recent surge in cross-border militant attacks, top government and military sources have told CNN-News18.
The decision to strike TTP sanctuaries, including those across the Durand Line, was finalised during a high-level apex security meeting held on Sunday, chaired by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir and other senior civil and military officials.
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In the past week alone, Pakistan has lost around 50 soldiers in TTP-led attacks, especially in Bannu, Lower Dir, and other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Islamabad has formally conveyed to Beijing and Washington its deep concerns over the escalating threat, according to a senior Foreign Office official.
Pakistan has also sought US assistance in providing satellite coordinates of known TTP hideouts under the existing counter-terrorism cooperation framework between the two countries.
A senior Pakistani envoy is expected to fly to Kabul shortly to deliver a stern message from Prime Minister Shehbaz to the Afghan Taliban leadership: “Choose between Pakistan and the TTP.” The move signals a breaking point in Islamabad’s patience with the Taliban’s continued reluctance, or inability, to rein in the TTP operating freely from Afghan soil.
Speaking earlier this week, PM Sharif publicly blamed militants based in Afghanistan for carrying out attacks on Pakistani soil, warning that Islamabad “will not remain silent spectators anymore”.
Military sources have confirmed that any upcoming air strikes could hit targets on both sides of the Durand Line, marking a potentially serious escalation in regional tensions if Afghan Taliban forces respond militarily.
Pakistan’s aggressive posture reflects a growing consensus within its security establishment that the time for restraint has passed, and decisive action is now unavoidable to secure national borders and restore domestic security.
About the Author
Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
Islamabad, Pakistan
September 15, 2025, 15:09 IST
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