Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has accused Pakistan’s military of conducting airstrikes on residences in Kabul and other regions of the country, resulting in the deaths of at least six civilians and injuring over a dozen individuals. The ongoing conflict between the two neighboring nations has entered its third week.
According to Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, Pakistani aircraft targeted fuel depots of the private airline Kam Air near the Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan. The airline supplies fuel to civilian airlines and United Nations aircraft. Pakistan’s state-run television reported that their armed forces carried out successful airstrikes within Afghanistan, targeting alleged militant hideouts and their support infrastructure.
The escalating tensions between the two countries, characterized by Pakistan as an “open war,” have raised concerns about regional stability amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. The core of the dispute lies in Pakistan’s allegations that the Afghan Taliban government shelters militant groups orchestrating attacks against Pakistan and aligns with Pakistan’s rival, India, although the Taliban denies harboring such groups.
The conflict intensified last month when both countries exchanged attacks on each other’s military installations. Pakistan’s military operations aimed at the Pakistani Taliban and its support networks along the border, while Afghanistan’s air force retaliated by targeting Pakistani military installations in the Kohat district.
In response to the Pakistani strikes, the Afghan Defense Ministry claimed to have hit multiple civilian sites and uninhabited locations in provinces like Paktia and Paktika. The Afghan government vowed that these attacks would not go unanswered. The conflict has resulted in casualties on both sides, with reports of civilian deaths and injuries in various locations.
China’s attempt to mediate the situation followed the latest Pakistani airstrikes, with China’s special envoy meeting with Pakistani officials to discuss counterterrorism efforts. Despite international calls for restraint, Pakistan reiterated that its military actions were directed solely at the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP has been blamed for recent attacks, such as a roadside bombing that killed six police officers in northwest Pakistan.
The TTP’s increased activities since the Afghan Taliban’s resurgence in 2021 have fueled tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad insists that its military operations will persist until Kabul takes concrete measures to rein in the TTP and other militant groups operating from Afghan territory. Previous attempts at peace talks have failed to yield a lasting resolution, with a Qatari-brokered ceasefire in October followed by unsuccessful negotiations in Turkey in November.