A senior Pakistani official claimed military air raids along the Afghan border killed at least 70 fighters, though Kabul denied these figures amid escalating regional tensions, Al Jazeera reported Monday.

Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry and state media suggested death tolls between 70 and 80 following Sunday’s strikes, which targeted TTP “camps and hideouts” linked to a recent Islamabad suicide bombing.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the raids as intelligence-based operations against seven militant sites, asserting that while Pakistan seeks regional stability, citizen security remains the top priority.

President Asif Ali Zardari defended the strikes as “an inherent right to self-defense after repeated warnings to Kabul went unheeded.”

These attacks threaten a fragile ceasefire established after deadly clashes last October. While Pakistan accuses the Taliban government of harboring armed groups, Afghanistan rejected these allegations, labeling the strikes a criminal violation of its sovereignty.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Defense claimed hits on civilian areas, including a religious school and homes in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.

Local officials and residents claimed ordinary civilians were among the casualties, with the Red Crescent reporting 18 deaths.

In response, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Pakistani ambassador, warning that Islamabad would be held responsible for the consequences of violating Afghan territory.