Pakistan's ongoing cross-border strikes under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, launched in February 2026, stem primarily from TTP and allied groups like the Ittehad ul Mujahideen Pakistan using Afghan territory for attacks inside Pakistan, including the September 18 Kohat suicide bombing that killed 31. Islamabad has responded with repeated airstrikes on militant hideouts in provinces such as Kunar, Paktika, and Helmand, most recently on September 30 and October 1, while Kabul has retaliated with drones and border fire and disputes casualty claims. UN reports note TTP relocation and activity inside Afghanistan, and Pakistani officials, including the army chief, have reaffirmed the right to self-defense amid failed mediation. Trader focus centers on whether fresh TTP incidents or Taliban responses will trigger further calibrated strikes before any resolution deadline, against a backdrop of sustained low-level clashes along the Durand Line.