Pakistan Conducts Airstrikes on 10 Locations in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan conducted airstrikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan that it said were being used to store and launch drones, after detecting and neutralising drones launched from Afghan territory, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Thursday.

Tarar said Pakistan’s air defence systems detected drones launched from Afghanistan on Wednesday. The drones were tracked and neutralised before reaching their intended targets, he said in a post on X.

Following the attempted attacks, Pakistan carried out “precision aerial and drone strikes” on 10 locations, which the minister said were limited to identified military objectives linked to the drone attacks.

“Any further provocative act by Afghan Taliban will be responded with firm and resolute response,” Tarar said.

Afghanistan officials confirm airstrikes

Afghan officials confirmed the Pakistani airstrikes, saying they were conducted in several areas of southeastern Khost province.

Mustaghfir Gurbaz, spokesperson for the Khost governor, said there were no casualties in the strikes.

The latest strikes come amid renewed tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with fighting between the two countries escalating this month after nearly three months of relative calm.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harbouring militants who carry out cross-border attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has denied the allegations and maintains that militancy is an internal issue for Pakistan.

The escalation follows an attack on a police facility in northwestern Pakistan last week that killed at least 24 people. The incident has further heightened tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

Earlier this week, Pakistan said it had carried out airstrikes in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, claiming that 28 militants were killed. Afghan Taliban officials, however, accused Pakistan of killing three civilians in overnight strikes on Afghan territory.

The two sides have previously engaged in serious military confrontations. In February, fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan became the worst in years amid growing disputes over militant attacks and cross-border security.

The most serious reported incident occurred in March, when more than 400 people were killed in a Pakistani airstrike on Kabul, according to Afghan Taliban authorities. Kabul said the strike hit a drug rehabilitation centre.

Pakistan denied the allegation, saying its forces had precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure. The latest airstrikes add to concerns over a further deterioration in relations between the two neighbouring countries, which have long faced disputes over militant activity, border security and accusations of cross-border attacks.