ع
The Pakistani military conducted airstrikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan on Thursday, targeting what it described as locations used to store and launch drones against its territory. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced that air defence systems had detected and neutralised drones originating from Afghanistan on Wednesday before they could reach their targets, prompting the calibrated response. Tarar emphasised in a statement that the strikes were limited to military objectives and warned that any further provocative acts by the Afghan Taliban would be met with a resolute reply, a Reuters dispatch indicated.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesperson, confirmed the strikes took place in the provinces of Kandahar, Paktia and Khost while reporting that four civilians lost their lives in the attacks. The Taliban government denied any role in launching drones toward Pakistan and vowed to deliver an appropriate response to what it called a violation of its airspace. A resident in Kandahar described hearing a jet followed by a large explosion and subsequent fire in the city centre, as relayed by Al Jazeera.
This latest incident adds to a series of cross-border operations that have intensified throughout 2026. In late June, Pakistani strikes in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces resulted in conflicting casualty reports, with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan confirming at least 28 civilian deaths and 49 injuries while Pakistan maintained it had eliminated 29 militants. The Taliban at the time placed the civilian toll at 38, including numerous women and children killed when multiple strikes hit the same areas in quick succession.
Cross-border violence has claimed hundreds of lives since February 2026, when retaliatory actions began after earlier Pakistani incursions into Afghan territory, a pattern detailed in reporting by The New York Times and the Associated Press. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration of harbouring militants from groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan that carry out attacks inside its borders. Afghan officials have countered by condemning the strikes as aggression against civilian populations.
The 1,600-mile border between the two nations has become a flashpoint, with both sides trading accusations over support for insurgent factions operating in the region. Mediation initiatives involving China, Turkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia aimed at de-escalating the conflict now face heightened challenges following the repeated aerial campaigns. UNAMA has documented civilian casualties in several of the earlier strikes, underscoring the human cost of the ongoing hostilities.
Pakistan’s operations on September 24 marked an escalation this month, coming days after additional strikes earlier in the week that Afghan officials said killed three more civilians in Kunar province. The information minister’s announcement highlighted the destruction of drone-related infrastructure as a key objective of the latest raids. Officials from both countries continue to exchange protests and statements as the situation remains tense.
