The strikes came hours after Afghan forces launched a cross-border attack on Pakistani troops late Thursday, which the Taliban-led government in Kabul described as retaliation for earlier Pakistani air raids. At least three explosions were reported in Kabul on Friday morning, though there was no immediate confirmation of casualties, News.Az reports, citing The Guardian.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan’s armed forces were fully capable of crushing any aggression. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called the airstrikes a “befitting response.”
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Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified for months, despite a 2025 ceasefire mediated by Qatar. Islamabad accuses Kabul of failing to curb militant groups that stage attacks inside Pakistan, an allegation the Taliban government denies.
Afghanistan’s defense ministry claimed dozens of Pakistani soldiers were killed in Thursday’s cross-border fighting, while Pakistan disputed those figures, saying only two of its troops were killed. Both sides have reported significant casualties among opposing forces.
The United Nations has urged restraint. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on both countries to protect civilians and resolve disputes through diplomacy, according to spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
The clashes have also displaced civilians. Authorities reported evacuations near the Torkham border crossing, with refugees and residents on both sides seeking safer areas. The 2,611-kilometre frontier, known as the Durand Line, remains a longstanding source of tension, as Afghanistan has never formally recognized it as an international border.
With land crossings largely shut since deadly fighting in October that left more than 70 people dead, the latest airstrikes raise fears that the fragile ceasefire could collapse entirely, further destabilizing the region.
