Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have entered a more dangerous phase after Islamabad said it carried out air and drone strikes on 10 locations inside Afghanistan in response to alleged cross-border drone attacks. The latest action follows Pakistani strikes earlier this week that Afghanistan said killed civilians, raising fresh concerns over the possibility of a wider confrontation and complicating efforts by regional powers to mediate between the two neighbours.
Pakistan on Thursday announced fresh military action inside Afghanistan, saying it had targeted 10 locations allegedly being used to launch and store drones involved in attacks against Pakistani territory.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the operation was carried out after Pakistan's air-defence systems intercepted eight drones that had entered its airspace from Afghanistan on Wednesday. Pakistani officials also said border posts had come under fire and linked the incident to an attempted cross-border infiltration by militants.
According to Tarar, the strikes were aimed specifically at sites connected with the alleged drone operations. Islamabad described the action as a defensive measure and said the targets were military objectives directly associated with the attacks.
Pakistan has also warned that attacks launched from Afghan territory will not be tolerated. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban authorities of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to maintain networks on Afghan soil. Kabul has rejected such accusations.
The latest strikes come only days after another Pakistani air operation in Afghanistan's Kunar and Paktika provinces. Pakistan said those strikes killed 28 militants and suicide bombers, while Afghan authorities reported that civilians were among the casualties. The United Nations also confirmed the deaths of three civilians in the September 21 strikes.
Afghanistan had strongly condemned those earlier attacks. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of striking civilian areas and warned that Kabul would respond. The Afghan Taliban had also protested the violation of its territory through diplomatic channels.
The dispute has been fuelled by a growing cycle of accusations and retaliatory military action. Pakistan says militant groups operating from Afghanistan are responsible for attacks inside the country, while the Taliban administration denies allowing Afghan territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan.
The situation has become particularly tense following the recent attack on a police facility in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in which more than 20 people were killed and scores were injured. Pakistan has linked the broader security crisis to militant networks operating across the border.
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