Pakistan Launches Military Attack on Kabul Amid Conflicting Reports on Explosions
Following the sound of two powerful explosions in central Kabul, news sources reported an airstrike carried out by Pakistan on Afghanistan’s capital.
Al Jazeera, citing a Taliban official, reported that Pakistani forces targeted a residential house in Kabul. However, the Taliban administration’s official statement attributed the explosions to a fire caused by a fuel tanker blast.
Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban administration, without specifying the exact location of the explosion, stated, “There is no need to worry,” explaining that the incident was the result of a fuel tanker explosion. Meanwhile, Afghan national television, operated under Taliban control, reported that the fuel tanker exploded on Fourth Street in Kabul’s Taymeni district.
On the other hand, alarming figures of civilian casualties have emerged. The Emergency Hospital in Kabul announced that 40 injured people from the incident have been admitted, with at least five fatalities. Ten of the victims are in critical condition, and the victims include women and children.
Deyan Panich, the hospital director, said that the injured suffered burns, shrapnel wounds, and severe physical trauma. The medical center emphasized that the final death toll remains uncertain.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also expressed concern over heavy civilian casualties amid rising conflict between Pakistan and the Taliban.
Meanwhile, Pakistani security officials claimed that the target of their attack was the “leadership center of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)” in Kabul. Taliban official media, however, have remained silent on this claim.
Local residents reported that the explosions were so intense they shattered nearby windows and caused widespread panic. Conflicting reports, administrative opacity, and increasing civilian casualties have once again raised questions about the Taliban administration’s effectiveness and accountability in ensuring security in the capital.
