Pakistan carried out air and drone strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan on Wednesday night, September 23, saying the sites were being used to launch or store drones involved in attacks against Pakistan. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the operation early Thursday.
The strikes came amid renewed tensions between the two neighboring countries, which have been locked in a prolonged dispute over cross-border militant activity.
Kandahar Reportedly Hit
An overnight airstrike was reported in Kandahar, the southern Afghan city that is home to Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. A resident told AFP that they heard a jet followed by a large explosion and then saw a fire in the city. Pakistan did not specify the locations of all 10 targets.
Tarar said on X that Pakistan had carried out “precision aerial and drone strikes” against 10 locations that it said were being used to launch and store drones. He described the strikes as deliberate and proportionate and said they were limited to identified military targets linked to attempted attacks against Pakistan.
Pakistan said its air-defense systems had detected and neutralized drones launched from Afghan territory on Wednesday before they could reach their intended targets.
Rising Tensions
The latest strikes follow Pakistani airstrikes earlier this week in eastern Afghanistan. On September 21, Pakistan said those strikes killed 28 militants, while Afghan authorities reported that three civilians were killed and four others wounded. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed the deaths of three civilians.
The renewed violence follows months of tension and the worst fighting between the two countries in years earlier this year. Although a ceasefire in March brought a temporary reduction in hostilities, disagreements over militant activity and cross-border attacks have continued.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of allowing militant groups, including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghan territory. Islamabad says such groups are responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has rejected the allegations, saying militancy is Pakistan’s internal problem and accusing Islamabad of violating Afghan sovereignty through cross-border strikes.
The latest escalation comes as regional efforts to mediate between Islamabad and Kabul continue to face difficulties, with security concerns remaining a central point of disagreement.
