Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence confirmed on Saturday that its forces launched strikes on multiple locations inside Pakistan in retaliation for deadly airstrikes conducted by Pakistan last week. The strikes targeted sites Afghanistan believes were used by “malicious elements” and their supporters, who allegedly coordinated attacks against Afghanistan. While the Taliban’s Ministry of Defence did not directly confirm that Pakistan was the target, it referred to the locations as being “beyond the ‘hypothetical line,’” which is how Afghan authorities describe the disputed border with Pakistan.
The airstrikes by Pakistan occurred on Tuesday, targeting a training facility in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province. The operation was aimed at eliminating insurgents, but it resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, including a significant number of women and children. Pakistan claims the Taliban has not done enough to curb cross-border militant activities, but the Taliban government denies these accusations, asserting that Afghan soil is not used for attacks against other nations.
The situation highlights ongoing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with both sides accusing each other of failing to address security concerns along the porous border, which is a haven for various militant groups.