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Relevance: GS Paper II — India and its Neighbourhood; Regional Security Source: AP / Reuters / MEA, June 2026

1 · What happened

On the night of 28–29 June 2026, Pakistan launched a major military operation, into eastern Afghanistan.  Pakistan claimed they hit hideouts of a terror group named Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), killing 29 militants.
This was retaliation. Just hours earlier, on June 28, militants attacked the Pakistan Rangers headquarters in Karachi, killing three soldiers. JuA took credit for this raid.
However, the Taliban government in Kabul heavily condemned the strikes, calling them a cowardly attack on Afghan civilians.

2 · Why are Pakistan and the Taliban fighting?

Relations have been sour since the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021. This is beacuse the TTP (Pakistani Taliban) accuses the Afghan Taliban of disclosing the safe hiding spots in Afghanistan to JuA to plan attacks on Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban denies this, telling Pakistan to fix its own internal problems.

The Spark
The Karachi Raid
The immediate cause was the deadly militant attack on the Pakistan Rangers HQ in Karachi. Pakistan responded almost instantly by crossing the Afghan border.
Who actually died?
A Disputed Toll
Pakistan says 29 terrorists died. The Taliban claims 36 civilians died. For UPSC students, the most reliable figure is from the UN (UNAMA), which verified 28 civilian deaths.
The Border Issue
The Durand Line
The border between the two countries is porous and highly disputed. Afghanistan has never officially accepted it, making it easy for militants to cross back and forth.
India’s Reaction
“Baseless Allegations”
Pakistan tried to blame India for secretly funding these terror groups. India fiercely rejected this, telling Pakistan to “look inwards” instead of blaming neighbours.

  • Understanding the Terror Groups: The TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) is a group trying to overthrow the Pakistani government. JuA is a violent splinter group that broke away from the TTP.
  • TTP vs Afghan Taliban: While they share the same extremist ideology, the TTP and the Afghan Taliban are separate organisations with different goals.
  • Ongoing conflict: This isn’t a one-time event. Fighting peaked heavily in February and March 2026. A brief ceasefire failed, leading to this current wave of strikes.

UPSC Prelims Quick Facts
Durand Line The disputed 1893 border drawn by the British between India and Afghanistan. Pakistan inherited it, but Afghanistan rejects it.
UNAMA The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. It provides neutral, verified data on civilian casualties.
TTP The Pakistani Taliban. Their goal is to defeat the Pakistani military and run the country under strict Sharia law.
Fitna al-Khawarij A term Pakistan uses for the TTP, meant to imply that the group has foreign backing (pointing fingers at India).
Taliban Government Took over Kabul in 2021. The international community, including India, still hasn’t officially recognised them as the legal government.

MCQ Practice
Q. Consider the following statements regarding the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the militancy issue:

  1. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a separate organisation from the Afghan Taliban, and its main goal is to overthrow the Pakistani state.
  2. The Durand Line was established in 1947 to mark the official boundary between Afghanistan and the newly formed Pakistan.
  3. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) is a breakaway splinter group of the TTP.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only    (b) 2 and 3 only    (c) 1 and 3 only    (d) All of the above

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

  • Statement 1 is Correct: While they are ideologically similar, the TTP focuses on Pakistan, whereas the Afghan Taliban focuses on governing Afghanistan.
  • Statement 2 is Incorrect (UPSC Trap): The Durand Line was drawn much earlier, in 1893, by the British. Pakistan simply inherited this disputed line in 1947.
  • Statement 3 is Correct: JuA split from the main TTP and is known for its highly lethal attacks.
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