Kabul Says It Struck ISIS-Linked Sites in Pakistan; Islamabad Yet to Respond

The Taliban’s Ministry of Defense says its forces carried out airstrikes against what it described as joint bases used by ISIS and other “groups of evil and corruption” inside Pakistan, marking a significant escalation in already strained relations between the two neighboring countries.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, the ministry said the strikes targeted locations in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan and the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the statement, one of the operations focused on the Saranan area of Balochistan, which Taliban officials alleged was being used by ISIS militants and allied armed groups. The ministry did not provide evidence to support its claims and offered no information on casualties, damage, or the scale of the operation.

Pakistan had not officially responded to the Taliban’s announcement at the time of publication.

The reported strikes come just days after a sharp deterioration in relations following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), at least 28 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 49 others injured in those attacks. Taliban authorities have reported even higher casualty figures, accusing Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilian communities.

Islamabad has maintained that its military operation targeted militant hideouts used by insurgent groups responsible for launching attacks inside Pakistan. Taliban officials have rejected that assertion, insisting that the strikes violated Afghanistan’s sovereignty and resulted primarily in civilian casualties.

Tensions have intensified further following a deadly attack on Pakistani security forces in Karachi. Pakistani authorities allege that some of the attackers and facilitators had operational links to Afghanistan, an accusation the Taliban government has categorically denied. Kabul has instead accused Pakistan of attempting to shift responsibility for its internal security challenges while continuing cross-border military operations against Afghan territory.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have remained deeply strained since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. The two countries have repeatedly exchanged accusations over cross-border militancy, with Pakistan alleging that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other armed groups operate from Afghan territory, while the Taliban accuse Islamabad of violating Afghan sovereignty through airstrikes and border incursions.

The relationship has also been complicated by repeated border clashes along the Durand Line, the mass deportation of hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, and growing diplomatic mistrust. Security analysts warn that continued military exchanges and competing accusations risk further destabilizing the already volatile border region and could undermine efforts to restore diplomatic dialogue between the two neighbors.

Pakistan Says It Shot Down Four Drones Entering From Afghanistan

Pakistan’s military says it intercepted and destroyed four drones that crossed into its airspace from Afghanistan, accusing the Taliban administration of allowing or facilitating their launch into Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan.

In a statement released late Tuesday, the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said the drones entered Pakistani airspace on June 30 from areas under Taliban control. According to the military, Pakistan’s air defense systems detected, tracked, and successfully shot down all four drones before they could reach their intended targets.

The statement alleged that the drones were intended for use by militant groups operating near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border but did not provide evidence supporting the claim. Pakistani officials described the incident as another example of increasing cross-border security threats.

The Taliban, however, offered a different account of events. Kabul said its forces had instead conducted precision airstrikes against what it described as joint ISIS and militant bases in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, without directly addressing Pakistan’s drone allegations.

The latest exchange follows Pakistan’s recent airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar, which significantly heightened tensions between the two countries. UNAMA reported that at least 28 civilians including women and children were killed and 49 others wounded in those strikes. Pakistan has maintained that its military targeted militant hideouts linked to cross-border attacks, while Taliban authorities insist the operation struck civilian areas.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, relations between Kabul and Islamabad have steadily deteriorated. Both governments have repeatedly accused one another of harboring militant groups responsible for attacks across the border. Pakistan has consistently called on the Taliban to take action against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Kabul has rejected those allegations and accused Islamabad of violating Afghanistan’s territorial integrity.

In addition to security disputes, bilateral relations have been strained by repeated border closures, armed confrontations at crossing points, Pakistan’s large-scale deportation of undocumented Afghan migrants, and disagreements over border management. The recent attack on Pakistani security personnel in Karachi, which Islamabad alleges involved Afghan-linked militants, has further intensified mistrust.

Regional observers warn that the exchange of military operations, competing narratives, and growing diplomatic hostility increases the risk of a broader confrontation along one of South Asia’s most volatile borders, with potentially serious implications for regional security and humanitarian conditions on both sides of the frontier.

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