By Web Desk
Lahore
Pakistan said it carried out precision aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan after alleging that drones launched from Afghan territory crossed into Pakistani airspace, marking a fresh escalation in tensions between the two neighbours.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the operation targeted locations used to launch and store drones and was limited to what he described as identified military objectives linked to the attempted attacks. He said Pakistan acted in self-defence after the alleged incursions on September 23.
The Afghan Taliban government denied that its forces had carried out attacks against Pakistan. Afghan authorities also said the strikes caused civilian casualties and lodged a protest, while the United Nations mission in Afghanistan said it had received reports of civilian harm. The competing accounts could not immediately be independently reconciled.
Pakistan cites drone incursions
In a statement carried by Pakistani media, Tarar said air defences had disabled the drones that entered Pakistan before the retaliatory operation. He described the strikes as deliberate and calibrated, saying they were directed at sites connected to the alleged launches rather than civilian targets.
Pakistan did not publicly identify all 10 locations or release a casualty figure for the operation. That leaves several important details, including the precise sites hit and the extent of damage, unconfirmed.
Associated Press reported that the latest strikes followed Pakistani air attacks earlier in the week on sites in eastern Afghanistan that Islamabad had described as suspected militant hideouts. The report said the renewed fighting has added pressure on mediation efforts between the two sides.
Kabul rejects accusation
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid denied on September 23 that Afghan Taliban forces had carried out attacks, according to AP. Afghan officials have said Pakistan violated Afghan airspace and that civilians were affected by the strikes.
Those positions underline the sharply different official narratives around the incident. Pakistan says the action responded to a cross-border security threat; Kabul rejects responsibility for the alleged drone attacks and says the strikes breached its sovereignty.
Border tensions deepen
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been strained by repeated security incidents along the border. Pakistan has long accused militant groups of operating from Afghan territory, while the Taliban authorities have rejected accusations that they shelter groups targeting Pakistan.
The latest episode also follows a deadly attack on a police compound in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, last week. Pakistan has linked its security concerns to militant activity across the border, while Afghan officials have disputed Pakistan's assertions about responsibility for attacks.
Regional diplomats have repeatedly called for restraint because an extended confrontation could further disrupt cross-border movement, trade and security cooperation. Neither side announced a new formal negotiating process after the latest strikes.
Read more verified developments in INPK News and our earlier report on the Kohat police operation.