Pakistani airstrikes kill 4 in Afghanistan after drone row

Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Thursday that four civilians were killed in Pakistani airstrikes targeting Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost provinces, marking the latest escalation in cross-border violence between the neighboring states. The bombardment represented the second cross-border attack by Islamabad this week amid spiraling tensions over alleged militant activity emanating from Afghan territory.

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that the military conducted precision air and drone strikes against 10 locations inside Afghanistan. Speaking to reporters, Tarar characterized the operation as a measured response to drone incursions detected the previous day, stating that Pakistani air defense systems had tracked and neutralized at least eight drones launched from Afghan territory before they could reach intended targets.

Islamabad cites self-defense

Tarar said the drone incursions inside Pakistan took place Wednesday, describing them as a "blatant violation" of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "In exercise of its sovereign right to self-defense, Pakistan conducted precision aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan used for launching and storing these drones," he said.

The minister described the strikes as "deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate," insisting they were strictly limited to identified military targets directly linked to the attempted attacks. He called on the Afghan Taliban to immediately cease hostile activity and take "effective, concrete, verifiable and sustained action against terrorist entities" operating from Afghan soil.

Kabul vows 'decisive' response

Mujahid accused Pakistan of "aggression" and strongly condemned what he termed "indiscriminate and cowardly attacks" on civilian areas. "As a result of this criminal aggression, four Afghan civilians were martyred," Mujahid said in a statement posted on social media platform X.

The Afghan spokesman rejected Islamabad's claims about drone incursions, alleging that Pakistani military circles fabricated the narrative to justify "brazen aggression." He warned that these "shameless acts of aggression and attacks by the Pakistani military regime will be met with an appropriate response through a decisive stance."

Pattern of cross-border attacks

The strikes followed an earlier attack on Monday that killed three people in Afghanistan's Kunar province, according to Kabul. Islamabad had announced that operation targeted militant hideouts following two deadly attacks inside Pakistan over the weekend that left 30 dead, including 18 police officers, six soldiers, and six civilians.