Pakistan launched overnight air strikes inside Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, targeting what it described as “terrorist hideouts and military infrastructure,” escalating tensions between the two neighbouring countries. Islamabad said the strikes were part of its ongoing cross-border operation against militant groups it accuses of staging attacks on Pakistani territory from Afghan soil.
The latest military action comes amid a rapidly worsening security situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Both sides have exchanged accusations and retaliatory attacks in recent days, raising fears that the long-simmering tensions could spiral into a broader confrontation.
PAKISTAN SAYS STRIKES TARGETED ‘TERRORIST HIDEOUTS’
According to Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and state-run TV, the military carried out overnight strikes in Kandahar under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, which was launched in late February after what Islamabad described as unprovoked firing from across the border.
Pakistan TV said the armed forces had successfully hit “military installations, including terrorist hideouts of Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij.” The term Fitna al-Khawarij is used by the Pakistani state to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group responsible for numerous attacks inside Pakistan.
According to the report, Pakistani forces destroyed technical support infrastructure and an equipment storage facility in Kandahar that was allegedly being used to support cross-border militant operations. Another strike targeted a tunnel believed to house technical equipment used by militants. Officials said the campaign would continue. “Operations under Operation Ghazab lil Haq will continue until attainment of objectives,” Pakistan TV quoted security sources as saying.
TALIBAN STRIKES PAKISTAN MILITARY CAMP
Afghanistan’s Taliban government confirmed that Pakistani strikes had occurred but disputed the claims about the targets. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attacks caused some damage to a drug rehabilitation centre and an empty container in Kandahar.
“The places they are talking about are far away from these two places,” he said.
In retaliation, Afghanistan’s Taliban attacked a military camp in Waziristan. Sadeequllah Nasrat, deputy spokesperson for Afghanistan’s defence ministry, said on X that Afghan air force units carried out a retaliatory strike on a Pakistani military camp in Wana, South Waziristan.
“Today, once again an attack was carried out on a special military camp of the army in the Wana area of South Waziristan,” Nasrat wrote, claiming the strike damaged facilities and caused “heavy human and material losses” for Pakistani forces.
DRONE ATTACKS ON PAKISTAN
The latest strikes followed accusations from Pakistan that Afghanistan had launched rudimentary drones into three locations across Pakistani territory on Friday night. Pakistani authorities said the drones were intercepted before reaching their targets, although debris injured civilians, including two children in Quetta.
Pakistan’s President, Asif Ali Zardari, condemned the drone attacks and warned that Afghanistan had “crossed a red line by attempting to target our civilians”.
Earlier this week, Tarar also said Pakistan had hit about 70 militant-linked installations across Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar provinces, including logistical bases and training camps believed to support attacks on Pakistani civilians.
The cross-border fighting marks the most serious escalation between the two countries in months. According to United Nations data, between February 26 and March 5 alone, at least 185 civilian casualties were reported in Afghanistan, including 56 deaths linked to indirect fire and air attacks. The UN refugee agency estimates that around 115,000 people have been forced to flee their homes because of the fighting.
With inputs from Arvind Ojha
