Pakistan Says It Targeted Drone Sites

Tarar said Pakistan conducted the strikes under what he described as its right to self-defense. He said the locations targeted were being used for launching and storing drones.

Pakistani security sources previously said eight drones had entered Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan and were intercepted. Four were reportedly shot down near the Torkham border, while another four were brought down near Kohat.

Pakistan described its strikes as deliberate and limited to military sites connected to the attempted attacks.

Strikes Reported in Khost and Other Provinces

Afghan officials reported Pakistani strikes in several areas, including Khost and Paktia provinces, while reports also said a strike occurred in Kandahar.

In Khost, a spokesman for the provincial governor said several areas were targeted but reported no casualties there. Pakistani officials have not publicly provided a detailed list of all 10 locations targeted.

Taliban Reports Four Deaths

Afghan Taliban officials said the Pakistani strikes killed four people. Pakistan has not reported casualties from its operation.

The conflicting accounts highlight the difficulty of independently verifying casualty figures and the precise nature of the sites targeted during the ongoing confrontation. Reuters also reported that Taliban officials denied that their government had launched the drones against Pakistan.

Pakistan Warns Against Further Attacks

Pakistan warned that any further hostile or provocative activity from Afghan territory would receive what officials described as a firm response.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of allowing militant groups to operate from Afghan territory and carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has rejected the accusations and maintains that militancy inside Pakistan is an internal Pakistani issue.

Tensions Follow Deadly Attack in Pakistan

The latest strikes come after a deadly attack on a police facility in Kohat, northwestern Pakistan, last week. The attack killed more than 20 people and was followed by a prolonged security operation against the attackers. Pakistani authorities have linked the broader wave of militant violence to groups operating from or connected to Afghanistan, although responsibility for the Kohat attack has not been conclusively established.

The incident contributed to renewed tensions after a period of relative calm between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Earlier Pakistani Strikes Also Increased Tensions

Pakistan also carried out strikes in Afghanistan earlier this week, saying they killed 28 militants. Afghan authorities said three civilians were killed and four were wounded, while the UN mission in Afghanistan confirmed the reported civilian deaths.

The latest operation therefore represents another escalation in a dispute centered on cross-border militancy, militant sanctuaries and competing claims over attacks and sovereignty.

Pakistan and Afghanistan Exchange Accusations

Islamabad says Afghan territory is being used by militant groups to plan and launch attacks against Pakistan and has called on Kabul to take action against those groups.

The Taliban government denies allowing its territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan and has repeatedly criticized Pakistani military operations inside Afghanistan as violations of Afghan sovereignty.

The continuing dispute has increased security tensions along the border and complicated efforts to maintain a longer-term understanding between the two countries.

Key Points

  • Pakistan says it struck 10 locations in Afghanistan.
  • Islamabad says the sites were used to launch and store drones.
  • Pakistani security sources said eight drones had entered Pakistani airspace the previous day.
  • Strikes were reported in Khost, Paktia and Kandahar.
  • Afghan Taliban officials said four people were killed.
  • A Khost provincial official reported no casualties in the areas he described.
  • Pakistan warned against further hostile activity from Afghan territory.
  • Islamabad accuses Kabul of allowing militants to operate from Afghanistan.
  • The Taliban rejects the accusation and says militancy is Pakistan's internal problem.
  • The latest strikes follow earlier Pakistani operations and rising cross-border tensions.

Source

Based on statements from Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Afghan Taliban officials, local Afghan authorities and reporting by Fyrim.