Pakistan carried out a series of airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan on Monday night, targeting militant positions. As reported by the AFP agency, referred to by TASR, the interventions were a response to the Saturday attack in Karachi, in which three members of the paramilitary forces lost their lives, as well as to the recent wave of violence in the border areas.
- Pakistan carried out night airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan against militants.
- The Pakistani Air Force struck three locations, reportedly killing twenty-five militants.
- At the same time, ground operations are underway against a group linked to the Tahrik Taliban, Pakistan.
- The Afghan Taliban are reporting dead and wounded, calling the airstrikes an act of aggression.
- Increasing cross-border attacks are deepening mistrust between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and there is a threat of escalation.
According to the statement of the Pakistani Ministry of Information, the Pakistani Air Force struck three locations in the Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar. The department said that these were “precision strikes” in which all selected targets were to be destroyed and 25 militants were killed.
Targeted strikes
At the same time, the ministry announced that in addition to airstrikes, ground operations are also underway in the border regions on the Pakistani side. They are aimed at a militant group that Islamabad associates with the Tahrik-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). According to the Pakistani authorities, she is responsible for the attack in Karachi and for other recent incidents in the border provinces.
The TTP, often referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, is distinct from the Afghan Taliban, which holds power in Kabul. Islamabad has long claimed that Pakistani militants use sanctuaries in Afghanistan and launch cross-border attacks against Pakistani security forces from there.
Taliban reaction
The spokesman of the Afghan Taliban confirmed that the airstrikes took place in the three mentioned provinces and that they claimed lives and injured dozens. At the same time, he condemned Islamabad’s actions, calling Pakistan’s military operations a cowardly act of aggression on the X platform.
The Afghan Taliban denies providing support or shelter to members of the TTP. He says Pakistan’s accusations are baseless. Tensions between the two sides have been growing for a long time, and Islamabad has repeatedly used its air force to strike targets inside Afghan territory in recent months.
From former allies to rivals
The Pakistani and Afghan Taliban were considered allies in the past, but their relations soured after 2021, when the Taliban regained control of Kabul and Afghanistan. Since then, Pakistan has increasingly accused the neighboring state of being unable or unwilling to prevent TTP activities from its territory.
Afghanistan rejects these accusations and emphasizes that it is not responsible for the attacks that take place on the territory of Pakistan. However, according to AFP, the growing number of cross-border incidents indicates deepening mistrust between the two neighbors and increases the risk of further escalation of military operations.
