Pakistan’s military has carried out operations targeting what it describes as militant infrastructure within Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. The action represents a significant escalation in ongoing hostilities between the two neighboring nations.
In a statement, a Pakistani government official asserted the strikes were aimed at equipment storage and support facilities used by armed groups. The Afghan administration offered a contrasting account, stating the attacks hit an unoccupied security post and a lightly damaged rehabilitation center, resulting in no casualties. An Afghan spokesperson condemned the move, accusing Pakistan of seeking to intensify the conflict.
In apparent retaliation, Afghan forces reportedly attacked a military camp in Pakistan’s South Waziristan region. Afghan authorities claim the operation caused significant damage and Pakistani casualties, a claim Pakistan has dismissed as false, stating only a small drone was intercepted.
The core dispute centers on Pakistan’s longstanding accusation that Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban provide sanctuary to militant organizations, including the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which has conducted attacks inside Pakistan. Afghanistan denies these allegations.
This recent cycle of violence began in late February with reciprocal cross-border strikes, shattering a ceasefire brokered last autumn. The fighting has since involved aerial bombardments and artillery exchanges, with both sides accusing the other of causing civilian deaths. A recent mortar attack in Pakistan’s Bajaur district, allegedly originating from Afghanistan, killed four members of a single family.
The sustained clashes have led Pakistani officials to characterize the situation as a state of “open war,” raising serious concerns about regional stability.
