Afghanistan strikes ISIS bases inside Pakistan after deadly border attack kills 36 civilians in Kabul | World

Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have escalated sharply after Afghanistan claimed it carried out airstrikes on ISIS hideouts inside Pakistani territory, just two days after Pakistani military operations reportedly killed at least 36 civilians in Afghanistan. While Kabul says the strikes targeted militant infrastructure used to plan attacks against Afghanistan, Pakistan has so far remained silent on the development and has not issued any official statement. The latest exchange marks another major escalation in the deteriorating relationship between the two neighbours, where repeated cross-border military action, diplomatic protests and failed peace efforts have kept the region on edge for months.

Afghanistan claims strikes targeted ISIS bases in Pakistan

According to Afghanistan, its Air Force carried out air bombardments on Tuesday night against what it described as a joint operational centre of Daesh militants involved in “evil and corruption” in the Saranan area of Pakistan’s Pasheen district in Balochistan province. Afghan authorities said the facilities were being used to coordinate and plan attacks against Afghanistan. The operation also reportedly targeted ISIS-linked hideouts in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Retaliatory action comes after Pakistan’s cross-border operation

Afghanistan’s claimed airstrikes came two days after Pakistani security forces launched military operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border that Kabul says resulted in heavy civilian casualties. According to Afghan authorities, at least 36 civilians were killed and more than 160 others were injured during the Pakistani operations.

Pakistan, however, has maintained that its forces targeted militant infrastructure. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistani security forces conducted a ground operation along the border late on Sunday, followed by strikes on militant hideouts and safe havens. He said the operation killed 29 militants and was launched in response to multiple militant attacks carried out inside Pakistan. The differing accounts from both sides once again underline the deep dispute over military operations along the volatile border.

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of targeting civilians

The Taliban-led Afghan government strongly condemned Pakistan’s military action, calling it a “cowardly act of aggression” and an “act of brutality.” Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, alleged that Pakistani forces first targeted a residential house in Chamkani district of Paktia province, killing an elderly man and a child while injuring several other family members. According to Fitrat, when local residents gathered to rescue those trapped under the debris, the same area was struck again. He claimed the second attack killed 28 villagers and injured 158 others, significantly increasing the civilian toll.

Kabul lodges strong diplomatic protest

The military confrontation has also triggered a fresh diplomatic standoff between the two countries. On Monday, Afghanistan summoned the Pakistani Charge d’Affaires in Kabul and lodged what it described as a “strong and resolute protest” over the cross-border airstrikes.

In a statement posted on X, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Pakistani diplomat was formally informed of Kabul’s objections over what it called a violation of Afghanistan’s airspace and the bombing of civilian homes in Kunar, Paktia and Paktika provinces.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul and presented him with its strong and resolute protest regarding the violation of Afghanistan’s airspace and the bombing of civilian homes in the provinces of Kunar, Paktia, and Paktika,” the statement read.

Border tensions continue despite repeated peace efforts

The latest escalation comes less than three weeks after Pakistan carried out another round of airstrikes inside Afghanistan, claiming it had targeted militant hideouts. Those operations had ended nearly a month of relative calm after Islamabad earlier described the situation between the two neighbours as an “open war”, despite diplomatic efforts by regional and international stakeholders to prevent further escalation.

Cross-border hostilities have intensified over the past several months, with both countries carrying out retaliatory military action against each other. Hundreds of people have been killed in the fighting since February, when Afghanistan launched retaliatory strikes after Pakistan conducted air operations inside Afghan territory. Despite multiple rounds of dialogue, the two sides have failed to reach a durable ceasefire or establish a long-term mechanism to prevent further military escalation.

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