Pakistan conducts air strikes in Afghanistan following cross‑border drone attacks

Pakistan conducted air strikes on 10 locations within Afghanistan on Thursday, targeting sites it identified as storage and launch points for drones. The Pakistani government stated that these operations were a response to a drone incursion into its territory on Wednesday, which officials described as a violation of sovereignty and an act of aggression.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar characterized the strikes as deliberate, precise, and calibrated, emphasizing that they were strictly limited to military objectives linked to attempted attacks against Pakistan. According to Mustaghfir Gurbaz, a spokesperson for the governor of Khost province, the strikes took place in several areas of that southeastern Afghan region. Gurbaz reported that there were no casualties resulting from the operation.

The air strikes occur amid escalating tensions between the two nations regarding the activities of armed groups operating near their shared border. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban government in Kabul of harboring militants who conduct cross-border attacks. Conversely, the Afghan government denies these allegations, maintaining that the security issues facing Pakistan are internal matters.

These developments follow a period of heightened friction that saw the most significant fighting between the two countries in years during February. The situation was further strained by an attack on a police facility in northwestern Pakistan last week, which resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people.