Pakistan strikes Taliban-linked facilities in Kandahar as border conflict escalates
Pakistan says its military carried out new airstrikes inside Afghanistan, targeting what it described as Taliban-linked military facilities and terrorist hideouts in Kandahar province. The overnight operation marks another escalation in the growing Pakistan–Afghanistan conflict along the border.
According to Pakistan’s state-run broadcaster, the strikes destroyed technical support infrastructure and an equipment storage site allegedly used by the Afghan Taliban and militant groups to launch attacks against Pakistani civilians. Pakistani forces also reportedly targeted a tunnel housing technical equipment belonging to the Taliban and the Pakistani Taliban (TTP).
Pakistani officials said the operation followed recent drone attacks launched from Afghan territory that targeted several locations across Pakistan. The drones were intercepted before reaching their targets, but falling debris injured civilians, including two children in Quetta, and others in Kohat and Rawalpindi.
Local residents in Kandahar reported seeing fighter jets flying over the city late at night, followed by loud explosions and visible flames near a mountainous military site. Similar explosions were also heard in Spin Boldak, near the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.
However, the Taliban government in Kabul disputed Pakistan’s claims. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes caused limited damage to a drug rehabilitation center and an empty container, denying that the targeted areas were military installations.
The cross-border attacks mark one of the sharpest escalations between the two neighbors since tensions began rising in late February. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of harboring militants from the Pakistani Taliban and ISIS-K, claims Kabul denies.
The violence has already caused significant casualties on both sides. Reports indicate that around 99 people have been killed in the clashes, including soldiers and civilians in both countries.
According to United Nations data, at least 185 civilian casualties have been recorded in Afghanistan from indirect fire and aerial attacks between late February and early March. The UN refugee agency also estimates that more than 115,000 people have been displaced due to the fighting.
The crisis comes amid wider regional instability linked to the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, raising concerns about further escalation across South Asia and the Middle East.
Source: Al Jazeera