Pakistan Carries Out Airstrikes Across Afghanistan as Border Tensions Escalate

Kabul: Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan intensified after Pakistan carried out air and drone strikes against multiple locations inside Afghanistan, including areas in Kandahar, Khost and Paktia provinces.

Pakistan’s Information Minister said the military targeted 10 locations that Islamabad alleged were being used to launch or store drones. Pakistani authorities said the operation followed drone activity originating from Afghan territory a day earlier.

According to Pakistan’s account, its air-defense systems detected, tracked and intercepted the drones before they reached their intended targets. Islamabad subsequently launched strikes against locations it said were connected with the alleged drone operations.

The overnight operation also reportedly reached Kandahar, a major southern Afghan city and the political stronghold of the Taliban leadership. A resident reported hearing a jet followed by a large explosion and seeing fire in the city.

Afghan local officials later said a strike hit an open area in the ninth district of Kandahar and reported no casualties. Officials in Khost similarly said several locations were struck but that there were no reported deaths or injuries from the latest attacks.

In Paktia, local officials reported that an area associated with the 203rd Mansouri Corps had also been targeted. No immediate casualty figure was provided for that strike.

The latest military action follows several days of growing tension along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration of allowing militant groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, to operate from Afghan territory.

Afghan authorities reject those allegations and have accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty through cross-border military operations.

The dispute has become increasingly serious following attacks inside Pakistan that Islamabad has linked to militants operating from Afghanistan. Pakistan has argued that military action is necessary to prevent further attacks, while Kabul has called for respect for Afghan territory.

Earlier this week, Pakistani strikes in eastern Afghanistan resulted in civilian casualties according to the United Nations. Pakistani officials gave a different account, saying their earlier operation had targeted militant positions and claiming that militants were killed.

The latest strikes are particularly significant because they reportedly included a major Afghan urban centre. Previous cross-border attacks have primarily focused on border areas and alleged militant positions.

The escalation also creates challenges for diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries. Several countries have been involved in attempts to mediate between Islamabad and Kabul, but disagreements over militant activity and border security remain unresolved.

For residents in affected areas, the continuing exchanges have raised concerns about further military action and possible disruption to civilian life.

Pakistan has said it does not seek an unnecessary escalation but has warned that attacks originating from Afghan territory would receive a military response. Afghan authorities, meanwhile, continue to reject accusations that they are responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.

With both sides maintaining sharply different accounts of the situation, the security situation along the border remains volatile. Further developments will depend on whether diplomatic efforts can prevent another cycle of cross-border attacks.