Islamabad- Pakistan launched fresh air strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, casting a shadow over the expected talks in Doha amid a fragile ceasefire that had temporarily halted hostilities between the two sides.

The strikes followed a gun-and-bomb attack by terrorists at a military installation in North Waziristan, and just hours after Islamabad and Kabul extended their two-day ceasefire, the Dawn reported on Saturday.

There was no statement from Pakistan's military, but the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the early Friday attack on Khaddi Fort in Mir Ali.

The security sources said they foiled the attack by eliminating all four attackers without suffering any loss.

Pakistan late Friday targeted the Angoor Adda region and also hideouts across Afghanistan's Urgun and Barmal districts of Paktika province, as security sources claimed that precision strikes were conducted against hideouts of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, reportedly killing dozens of fighters, the paper said.

It further reported that Pakistani security sources pointed out that the ceasefire agreement between the Afghan government and Pakistan did not preclude strikes on terror outfits and their hideouts.

The fresh strikes followed as representatives from the two countries were expected to meet in Doha, where the Qatari government was set to make an effort for mediation.

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