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Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Friday accused Pakistan of launching airstrikes inside its territory and warned of “consequences,” even as Islamabad claimed it was acting against militants operating from across the border.
According to Pakistani security officials, eleven soldiers were killed in a clash with Islamist militants in the Tirah region near the Afghan frontier earlier in the day. Islamabad maintains that fighters from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operate from safe havens inside Afghanistan — an allegation Kabul has consistently denied.
In a strongly worded statement, Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry said Pakistan carried out airstrikes late Thursday in Kabul and in the eastern province of Paktika around midnight.
“This is an unprecedented, violent, and provocative act in the history of Afghanistan and Pakistan,” the statement said. “If the situation escalates further, the consequences will be the responsibility of the Pakistani military.”
The Taliban said no casualties were reported in the attacks.
The latest confrontation comes amid deteriorating relations between the two neighbours. Pakistan accuses the Taliban administration — in power since August 2021 — of sheltering the TTP, which Islamabad blames for a sharp rise in deadly attacks on its security forces.
Following Thursday’s explosions in Kabul, speculation spread on social media that Pakistan had targeted senior TTP leaders, including its Chief, Noor Wali Mehsud. Afghan officials later said Mehsud was unharmed.
Islamabad has also accused India of backing the TTP through Afghan channels — a charge New Delhi has dismissed as “baseless.”
Ironically, the airstrike allegations coincided with the arrival of the Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in New Delhi for a six-day visit — the first such trip since the Taliban seized power. On Friday, India announced plans to upgrade its engagement with Kabul by reopening its embassy, which has been shut since 2021, signalling a cautious thaw in ties.
Former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad described Pakistan’s reported airstrikes as a “huge escalation” with “dangerous risks.” In a post on X, he urged both sides to pursue dialogue rather than confrontation, calling for negotiations to address the presence of militant sanctuaries on both sides of the Durand Line.
It is not the first time Islamabad has carried out strikes inside Afghanistan — the last such attack occurred in December 2024. Analysts warn that if Pakistan is indeed behind the latest explosions, the move could have far-reaching consequences for regional stability.
Team BharatShakti
