ISLAMABAD/KABUL — Pakistan carried out multiple overnight airstrikes on Afghan territory, claiming to have hit seven militant camps near the border. The Taliban government, however, says the attacks killed and wounded dozens of civilians, including women and children.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting described the strikes as “intelligence-based selective targeting” of members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), its affiliates, and Islamic State-Khorasan Province. Officials framed the operation as a “retributive response” to recent suicide bombings inside Pakistan, including one at a Shia mosque in Islamabad earlier this month.
Afghan officials condemned the strikes, saying they struck civilian homes and a religious school in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces. Local authorities reported that one family lost 20 members in a single strike. The Taliban’s defense ministry denounced the attacks as a “blatant violation of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity” and warned of a “measured response at a suitable time.”
Fragile Ceasefire Under Strain
The escalation comes just months after Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a tentative ceasefire in October, following the worst border clashes since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. That truce was already fragile, with sporadic fighting continuing along the 1,600-mile mountainous frontier.
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia mediated the release of three Pakistani soldiers captured in Kabul during last year’s clashes, raising hopes of easing tensions. The new strikes, however, threaten to unravel those efforts.
Mounting Regional Concerns
Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering militants responsible for attacks during Ramadan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Kabul denies the allegations, insisting Islamabad is targeting civilians under the guise of counterterrorism.
With both sides trading accusations and casualties mounting, the border conflict risks spiraling into a broader confrontation — one that could destabilize an already volatile region.
