Pakistan says it launched air strikes in Afghanistan after drone attacks

Pakistan says it has carried out air strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan's southeastern Khost province, saying the sites were being used to store and launch drones. The strikes were reported on Thursday and were described by Pakistan as limited to military objectives linked to alleged cross-border attacks. The governor's office in Khost said there were no casualties.

Sponsored

Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said the strikes were "deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate" and were strictly limited to identified military objectives. He said the action followed what he described as a "deliberate and unlawful incursion" into Pakistan by drones on Wednesday. Tarar said the incursion was a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The latest exchange comes after tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan worsened again following an attack on a police facility in northwestern Pakistan last week that killed at least 21 people. A Pakistan Taliban faction claimed responsibility for that blast and the gun battle that followed. Afghan officials also said Pakistani air strikes on Monday hit three locations in Kunar province, killing three civilians, while Islamabad said it killed 28 militants.

The incident matters because it adds to a period of renewed cross-border escalation between the two neighbours, who were already under strain after fighting in February, described as the worst in years. Pakistan accuses Kabul of harbouring fighters who carry out attacks across the border, while Afghanistan's Taliban government denies sheltering anti-Pakistani armed groups and says the violence is Pakistan's internal problem. The latest strikes also raise pressure on regional mediation efforts involving China, Turkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Sponsored

Khost province lies in southeastern Afghanistan and has now become the focus of the latest reported military action. The Pakistani government has framed its response as targeted and limited, while Afghan officials have so far said there were no casualties from the strikes. The differing accounts underline how difficult it remains to verify the full scale and effect of the operation.

What remains unclear is whether the strikes destroyed the drone sites Pakistan described, and whether there will be any further military response from either side. It is also not yet clear how the latest incident will affect diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions. The next developments to watch are any official Afghan response, any confirmation of damage on the ground, and whether mediation efforts can continue.

#Pakistan #Afghanistan #Khostprovince #airstrikes #crossbordertensions