Cross-Border Clashes Escalate Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Amid Airstrikes
Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have intensified following Pakistani airstrikes on parts of Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Paktika, and Nangarhar provinces. A spokesperson for the Taliban administration stated that residential homes were targeted in these attacks, resulting in the deaths of women and children. Simultaneously, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense reported retaliatory strikes on Pakistani military installations in the Kohat region.
Zabiullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, announced that the Pakistani army had bombed certain civilian areas in continuation of “previous aggressions.” He claimed these attacks led to civilian casualties, including women and children, and emphasized that the Taliban administration would not leave these actions unanswered.
The spokesperson for Nangarhar’s security command also reported that a residential house was targeted in the Momand Dara district, killing a woman and a child. Local residents described the explosions as severe. Abdul Rahman, a resident of Nangarhar, said people were thrown to the ground by the blast, and several women were seriously injured.
In response, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense stated that this morning the Afghan Air Force targeted strategic centers and facilities of the Pakistani military in the Kohat area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to the ministry, the Kohat military fortress and its war command center along the Durand Line, including the office of the base commander, were attacked.
Siddiqullah Nusrat, Deputy Spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Defense, claimed that the attacks destroyed military facilities, depots, and soldiers’ accommodations, inflicting heavy casualties and financial damage. However, independent sources have not yet confirmed these claims.
These events have prompted reactions both domestically and internationally. Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s former president, condemned Pakistan’s attacks as a clear violation of neighborhood principles, human values, and international law, calling on Pakistan to end hostilities and pursue positive relations.
Abdus Salam Zaeef, former Taliban ambassador to Islamabad, described the attacks as “great injustice and a cowardly act.”
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) stated that as clashes intensify between Afghanistan and Pakistan, civilians continue to suffer, with women and children bearing the greatest harm.
The escalation of these conflicts occurs amid earlier warnings by Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, acting Taliban defense minister, who cautioned that if Kabul becomes insecure, Islamabad will not be safe either. The ongoing situation raises concerns about the spread of insecurity in border areas and further harm to civilians.
