PAKISTAN’S military announced the death of at least 70 militants in air strikes along its border with Afghanistan today.

Islamabad said it was targeting hideouts of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Isis, which it blames for attacks inside Pakistan, but did not specify locations targeted. 

But the Afghan defence ministry said that “various civilian areas” in the provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika in eastern Afghanistan were hit, including a religious madrassa and multiple civilian homes.

Hours before the Pakistani strikes, a suicide bomber hit a security convoy in the border district of Bannu, killing two soldiers. Pakistan’s military warned after the attack that it would not “exercise any restraint” and that operations against those responsible would press on.

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said he had “conclusive evidence” that the recent attacks were carried out by militants acting on the “behest of their Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers.”

He said Pakistan had repeatedly urged Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to take verifiable steps to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks in Pakistan, but alleged that no substantive action had been taken.