Kabul, Afghanistan — Pakistan reportedly carried out airstrikes in the Afghan capital late Thursday night, targeting suspected members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Powerful explosions were heard across Kabul, though casualties have not yet been confirmed.
Residents reported hearing aircraft overhead moments before the blasts. The Taliban government said an investigation was underway but did not name the attackers.
Local sources claimed the strikes appeared to target senior TTP figures, including the group’s leader, Noor Wali Mehsud. No country has officially claimed responsibility, but Pakistani officials have repeatedly warned they would strike militants “wherever they are found.”
If verified, this would mark Pakistan’s first airstrike inside Kabul. Islamabad has previously conducted cross-border operations in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces—Khost, Paktia, and Nangarhar—against TTP fighters it accuses of using Afghan territory as a base.
The Kabul strikes came just hours after Pakistani fighter jets reportedly bombed targets in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, hitting residential areas and shops in Barmal district near the border. Local residents said the midnight bombardment caused extensive property damage, though no confirmed casualty figures have been released.
The reported airstrikes follow a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province earlier this week, in which at least 11 soldiers were killed. Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told parliament that Islamabad’s patience with “terrorists and their supporters” had run out, adding that a delegation would soon visit Kabul to deliver a warning to the Taliban government.
The Kabul incident coincided with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to New Delhi—his first since the Taliban’s return to power—for talks with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on trade, humanitarian aid, and regional security.
Analysts say the timing underscores intensifying India–Pakistan competition for influence in Kabul. Islamabad views New Delhi’s renewed engagement with the Taliban as a strategic challenge, while India seeks to expand its regional footprint through cautious diplomatic outreach.
Observers warn that the reported strikes could further strain already tense relations between Islamabad and the Taliban administration, potentially deepening Afghanistan’s entanglement in the geopolitical rivalry between South Asia’s two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Summary of the Reported Events
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Airstrikes in Kabul: Pakistan reportedly carried out airstrikes inside the Afghan capital, Kabul, targeting senior TTP members, including leader Noor Wali Mehsud. This would be the first such strike inside the capital.
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Airstrikes in Paktika: Earlier the same day, Pakistani fighter jets also reportedly struck targets in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, near the border.
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No Official Claim: Pakistan has not officially claimed responsibility, but its officials have repeatedly issued warnings of conducting cross-border strikes.
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Taliban Response: The Taliban government confirmed explosions and stated that investigations were underway, without naming Pakistan directly.
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Immediate Catalyst: The airstrikes followed a deadly militant assault in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that killed at least 11 soldiers.
Key Context and Implications
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Deteriorating Pakistan-Taliban Relations: This event marks a serious rupture in the relationship between Pakistan and the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Pakistan was once a key supporter of the Taliban, but ties have soured primarily over the TTP issue. The Taliban’s refusal to rein in or hand over TTP militants is a major point of contention for Islamabad.
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Pakistan’s “Red Line”: The statement from Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, that its patience with “terrorists and their supporters” has run out is a clear public declaration of a new, more aggressive policy of “hot pursuit.”
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The India-Pakistan Rivalry: The timing of the strike, coinciding with the Taliban foreign minister’s visit to India, is highly significant. Analysts see this as a message from Pakistan to both the Taliban and India:
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To the Taliban: It signals that Pakistan will not tolerate the Taliban deepening its ties with India while providing safe haven to Pakistan’s enemies.
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To India: It is a demonstration of Pakistan’s resolve and its willingness to take direct action in what it considers its sphere of influence, countering India’s diplomatic outreach.
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Geopolitical Escalation: The involvement of India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed rivals, in Afghanistan’s affairs through direct action and diplomacy raises the stakes significantly. It risks drawing Afghanistan deeper into their long-standing conflict, with potentially destabilizing consequences for the entire region.
In conclusion, the reported airstrikes represent a major tactical shift by Pakistan and a significant escalation in regional tensions. They highlight the failure of diplomatic efforts to address Pakistan’s security concerns regarding the TTP and have injected the India-Pakistan rivalry directly into the heart of Afghanistan’s ongoing crisis.
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