Afghanistan launches airstrikes on Pakistan bases

Afghanistan said it carried out coordinated airstrikes against military positions inside Pakistan on Friday, marking a sharp escalation in cross-border hostilities. According to the Afghan Defense Ministry, the operation targeted sites in Islamabad, Nowshera, Jamrud and Abbottabad, amid intensifying tensions between Kabul and Islamabad.

Retaliation after border escalation

Kabul described the strikes as a response to what it called Pakistani aerial incursions into Afghan territory, including reported attacks in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia provinces. The ministry said the latest action was launched late Friday morning following overnight exchanges along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. Pakistan has not yet issued an official statement regarding the claims.

Clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces have intensified since Sunday, when Islamabad said it conducted airstrikes inside Afghanistan that killed 70 militants. Afghan authorities and the United Nations, however, reported civilian casualties, allegations that Pakistan has denied.

Civilian toll and rising casualties

According to Kabul-based Tolo News, a mortar round allegedly fired by Pakistani forces struck a residential house near Angoor Ada in Paktika province, killing three civilians, including children, and injuring seven others. In the latest round of confrontations, at least 11 people were reported killed in Pakistan — among them one civilian and two soldiers — while Afghan officials confirmed the deaths of eight soldiers.

Following Afghan cross-border attacks, Pakistan launched further airstrikes inside Afghanistan overnight from Thursday to Friday. Kabul later announced it had halted its operations, though the security situation remains volatile.

Strained relations despite diplomacy

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated in recent months, with Islamabad accusing militant groups of using Afghan territory as a base for attacks — a charge Kabul strongly rejects. Despite ongoing diplomatic contacts aimed at easing tensions, the latest flare-up represents one of the most serious military confrontations between the two neighbours in recent memory.

The evolving crisis raises concerns about broader instability along the Afghanistan–Pakistan frontier, a region historically prone to cross-border militancy and security disputes.