ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s reported air strikes inside Pakistani territory have sharply raised tensions between the two neighbours, with Islamabad strongly rejecting Kabul’s claims and calling them baseless.
According to Afghan authorities, the strikes were carried out on Thursday night and allegedly targeted what they described as militant hideouts in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Kabul claimed the sites were being used by ISIL-Khorasan (ISIS-K) and what it termed “hostile intelligence-linked networks” planning attacks against Afghanistan.
However, Pakistan has firmly dismissed the allegations, denying that any such militant infrastructure was hit or even exists in the manner described. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting called the Afghan statement “false and misleading,” rejecting it as propaganda and stressing that no evidence has been provided to support the claims.
From Pakistan’s standpoint, the reported strikes represent a serious violation of sovereignty and an unnecessary escalation at a time when both countries were already operating under a fragile and repeatedly strained ceasefire arrangement. Officials in Islamabad have repeatedly warned against cross-border actions that could further destabilize the region and undermine counterterrorism cooperation.
The incident comes amid months of intermittent tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where both sides have accused each other of harbouring militant elements. Despite diplomatic efforts and third-party engagement, including mediation attempts by regional actors, a durable understanding has yet to be reached.
Security observers say the latest development risks further eroding trust at a critical time for regional stability, particularly given ongoing concerns about transnational militant networks operating in border areas.
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