Afghanistan has conducted air strikes targeting alleged militant bases in Pakistan, escalating tensions and jeopardizing the fragile ceasefire between the two nations.
Afghanistan has announced that it carried out air strikes against alleged militant hideouts inside Pakistan, marking a major escalation in tensions between the two neighbours and putting their already fragile ceasefire at further risk.
According to Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry, the strikes were launched on Thursday night against targets in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, both of which border Afghanistan. Kabul claimed the sites were being used by ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) militants in coordination with what it described as “hostile intelligence circles” to plan attacks against Afghanistan.
The ministry said one of the locations targeted was frequently used by senior ISIS-K leaders and claimed that several “important targets” were successfully hit. However, it did not specify the extent of the damage or how the operation was conducted.
Pakistan swiftly rejected the allegations, calling them “false” and accusing Afghanistan of spreading misinformation. Islamabad insisted that terrorist groups, including ISIS and several other militant organisations, continue to operate from territory controlled by the Taliban government.
The strikes mark the latest flare-up in a conflict that has repeatedly erupted along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Both countries have accused each other of sheltering militant groups responsible for cross-border attacks.
Relations deteriorated sharply earlier this year after a series of retaliatory military operations. A ceasefire brokered in March collapsed within weeks as both sides accused the other of violating the agreement. Subsequent mediation efforts led by China have so far failed to produce a lasting peace deal.
Pakistan has repeatedly blamed Kabul for allowing fighters from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan territory and launch deadly attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban government has consistently denied the accusations, arguing that Pakistan’s security challenges are an internal matter.
The latest Afghan operation is notable because it represents one of Kabul’s most significant offensive actions in recent months. While Afghanistan does not possess fighter jets, military analysts say the Taliban controls several aircraft and helicopters inherited after the 2021 withdrawal of foreign forces, as well as a growing fleet of drones that have previously been used in clashes with Pakistan.
