The Taliban government in Afghanistan has reported that four civilians were killed in a series of Pakistani air strikes, marking the second wave of cross-border attacks this week and deepening diplomatic tensions between the two nations. The strikes targeted areas in Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost provinces, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
Kandahar serves as the political heart of the Taliban movement. Residents reported hearing jets followed by large explosions and subsequent fires. In Paktia, officials stated that the 203 Mansouri Corps, an Afghan Armed Forces unit under Taliban control, was bombed, though no casualty figures were immediately provided for that specific location.
Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, defended the operations, stating they were “deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate.” He emphasized that the strikes were strictly limited to military objectives directly linked to recent attacks against Pakistan. Islamabad confirmed hitting ten targets but did not release specific locations.
In Khost province, where no casualties were reported, local residents expressed confusion and alarm. Abdullah, an eyewitness, told Reuters that the strikes occurred around midnight, causing panic among villagers. Another resident, Salamat Khan, disputed the military nature of the targets, stating, “There is no military base here, nor are there any military personnel… there are only the homes of ordinary civilians.”
Mujahid condemned the attacks as “reckless, careless, and hostile,” warning that they would have adverse consequences for the Pakistani military and promising an “appropriate response.” This escalation follows a deadly attack on September 18 on a mosque within a police compound in northwestern Pakistan, which killed at least 31 people. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for that assault.
Islamabad has accused the Afghan Taliban of harboring the TTP, a charge the Kabul government denies, characterizing militancy as Pakistan’s internal issue. Following the September 18 attack, Pakistan launched previous airstrikes in the border region, killing 28 militants, though UN observers noted civilian deaths in those strikes as well.
The violence interrupts a three-month period of relative calm between the neighbors. Data from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) indicates that cross-border armed violence resulted in at least 499 civilian deaths and 1,216 injuries between October 2025 and June 2026. Diplomatic efforts, including discussions at the UN General Assembly by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, have called for verifiable measures to prevent Afghan soil from being used for terrorism, but a lasting resolution remains elusive.
Leave a Reply