KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Pakistan launched airstrikes Friday in Afghanistan, targeting areas in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia provinces, according to Afghan government officials, escalating a dangerous back-and-forth between the neighboring nations. The strikes came hours after Afghanistan conducted a cross-border attack on Pakistan, further jeopardizing a fragile, Qatar-mediated ceasefire.
At least three explosions were heard in Kabul, though the exact locations and any potential casualties remained unclear early Friday. Pakistan’s military claimed its strikes targeted facilities used by Afghan military forces, alleging the destruction of two brigade bases, but offered no immediate details on casualties. The claims were made by Pakistani security officials speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry asserted its Thursday attack was retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes last Sunday in Afghan border areas. The ministry claimed to have captured more than a dozen Pakistani army posts and reported 55 Pakistani soldiers killed, along with eight Afghan soldiers killed and 11 wounded. These figures were immediately disputed by Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated only two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three wounded, while claiming 36 Afghan fighters were killed. He denied any soldiers were captured. Later, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, posted on X (formerly Twitter) claiming 133 Afghan fighters were killed, over 200 wounded, 27 posts destroyed, and nine captured, adding that further casualties were expected in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar.
The escalating violence underscores months of heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Border clashes in October resulted in numerous deaths, and Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring militants responsible for recent attacks within its borders. Islamabad specifically points to the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, and Baloch separatist groups.
The two countries share a 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border, known as the Durand Line, which Afghanistan does not formally recognize.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged both sides to protect civilians and seek a diplomatic resolution, according to U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
The conflict is also impacting civilians. Afghan authorities began evacuating a refugee camp near the Torkham border crossing after it was hit by mortars, wounding 13 civilians, including women and children, according to Qureshi Badlon, head of Torkham’s Information and Public Awareness Board. Residents on the Pakistani side were also evacuating. Pakistan has been conducting a sweeping crackdown on migrants, expelling hundreds of thousands.
Pakistan conducted similar strikes along the border on Sunday, claiming to have killed at least 70 militants. Afghanistan rejected this claim, alleging dozens of civilians were killed, including women and children, in strikes that hit civilian areas, a religious school and homes.
The recent escalation casts doubt on the effectiveness of the Qatar-mediated ceasefire, which had largely held despite occasional cross-border fire. Several rounds of peace talks in November failed to yield a formal agreement.
