Pakistan has claimed to have killed 70 terrorists in military strikes targeting at least seven militant hideouts in Afghanistan, in retaliation for recent rebel attacks within the country on Sunday. "Afghanistan has long been exporting terrorism. Pakistan is taking all actions to secure the life and property of its citizens," said Talal Chaudhry, Pakistan's State Minister for Interior, during an appearance on Geo News.

Earlier, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting confirmed the strikes, citing them as a direct response to recent suicide bombings in Islamabad, Bajaur, and Bannu. Kabul, in turn, warned of a "necessary and measured response" to the strikes.

In the most recent terrorist attack, an army lieutenant colonel and a soldier were killed in a suicide bombing in the Bannu area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Pakistan has conclusive evidence linking these acts of terrorism including those at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, as well as incidents in Bajaur and Bannu to the Khwarij group, allegedly acting on the orders of their leadership and handlers based in Afghanistan.

"Responsibilities for these attacks were also claimed by Afghanistan-based Pakistani Taliban belonging to Fitna-al-Khwarij (FAK) and their affiliates, and the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP)," the ministry noted.

The term Fitna-al-Khawarij is used by the Pakistani government to refer to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

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Despite repeated appeals from Pakistan to the Afghan Taliban government to take concrete and verifiable steps to prevent terrorist groups and foreign proxies from using Afghan territory to carry out attacks in Pakistan, the ministry stated that Kabul "failed" to take any substantial action against them.

"In this context, Pakistan, in a retributive response, has conducted intelligence-based selective targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to the Pakistani Taliban of FAK and its affiliates, as well as ISKP, along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with precision and accuracy," the statement explained.

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Chaudhry mentioned that most of the 70 terrorists killed were Pakistani nationals. "There is ample evidence suggesting that most of the slain terrorists were Pakistanis," he added.

On Sunday, Pakistan reiterated its expectation that the Afghan interim government will fulfil its obligations. Pakistan also called on the international community to take a positive and constructive role by urging the Taliban regime to uphold its commitments under the Doha Agreement, particularly the denial of its soil for use against other countries, which is crucial for regional and global peace and security, according to the ministry.

The statement further highlighted that while Pakistan has always aimed to maintain peace and stability in the region, "the safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority."

In response to the strikes, the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry summoned Pakistan's ambassador to Kabul, Ubaid ur Rehman Nizamani, and handed him a formal protest note, according to PTI citing sources.

Afghanistan, in a statement, warned that the Pakistani strikes on the provinces of Paktika and Nangarhar will be met with a "necessary and measured response".

"Our borders and the security of our people is our sacred religious and national duty," Afghanistan's Defence Ministry said, adding that "at the appropriate time, a necessary and measured response will be delivered to these aggressions".

It termed the strikes as a "clear violation" of Afghanistan's national sovereignty, international law, principles of good neighbourliness, and Islamic values, adding that the attacks targeted civilian and religious centres, calling them "clear evidence" of intelligence and security failures within Pakistan.

The statement said that Afghanistan will not remain silent in the face of continued cross-border violations and reaffirmed the country's right to defend its territorial integrity.

Relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have deteriorated due to the alleged failure of Kabul to stop terrorists from using its soil to attack Pakistan.

Last year in October, the two sides were briefly engaged in an armed conflict in which 23 Pakistan soldiers and over 200 Afghan Taliban soldiers were killed, according to the Pakistan army.

( With PTI Inputs )