Pakistan conducts airstrikes in Afghanistan amidst escalating tensions
Pakistan launched airstrikes early Thursday on ten sites in Afghanistan, which it claims were used to conduct drone attacks against its territory the previous day, reports BritPanorama.
The airstrikes targeted areas in Afghanistan’s southeastern Khost province around 3:30 a.m., according to provincial governor spokesman Mustaghfir Gurbaz, who stated that there were no reported casualties.
The announcement from Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar followed reports that Afghanistan’s Taliban forces had fired eight drones and shelled Pakistani border posts after Pakistani troops reportedly thwarted an attempted cross-border infiltration. This marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict, complicating international mediation efforts.
The Afghan government has not commented on the airstrikes. However, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied that Afghan forces had attacked Pakistan, contradicting Pakistan’s assertions. This ambiguity follows a recent incident where Pakistani fighter jets targeted what Islamabad described as militant hideouts in eastern Afghanistan.
Neither the Pakistani claims nor the Afghan government’s assertions could be independently verified, raising concerns over the accuracy of information in the region. The conflicting accounts pose a challenge to ongoing diplomatic efforts by nations like China, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia aimed at achieving a sustainable peace between Kabul and Islamabad.
Pakistan has consistently accused the Taliban-led Afghan government of harboring militants who launch attacks across the border, claims that Kabul has repeatedly denied. “Instead of dismantling these networks, the Afghan Taliban regime has chosen to escalate the situation through hostile drone operations against Pakistan,” Tarar stated.
He described the airstrikes as “deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate,” emphasizing that they were targeted at military objectives linked to attacks against Pakistan.
In parallel, Pakistani officials reported that their security forces disabled eight rudimentary drones launched from Afghanistan before they could reach significant locations such as the city of Kohat and the Torkham border town. Afghan forces reportedly responded with mortars and heavy weaponry aimed at Pakistani positions, prompting artillery retaliation from the Pakistani side.
These developments come after a series of violent episodes in Pakistan, including a recent shootout in Hangu that resulted in the deaths of six security personnel, and a critical incident in Kohat where a suicide bomber killed over 20 individuals in a police compound.
The violence has been attributed to a rise in activity by the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, particularly intensified since the Afghan Taliban regained power in 2021. This situation, rife with conflict and accusations, reflects a volatile dynamic that continues to evolve as both governments struggle with internal and external pressures.
