Afghanistan’s Taliban government has accused Pakistan’s military of conducting airstrikes on residential areas in Kabul and other parts of the country, resulting in the death of at least six civilians and injuring more than a dozen people. The ongoing conflict between the two neighboring nations has entered its third week.
A spokesperson for the Afghan government, Zabihullah Mujahid, disclosed that Pakistani aircraft targeted fuel depots belonging to Kam Air, a private airline near Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan. This airline provides fuel to civilian airlines and United Nations aircraft.
Pakistan’s state-run television reported that its armed forces carried out successful airstrikes inside Afghanistan as part of their operation, targeting alleged militant hideouts and support infrastructure in the country.
The escalating tensions between the two countries, described by Pakistan as an “open war,” raise concerns about regional stability amidst the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, creating significant uncertainty.
The core of the dispute lies in Pakistan’s allegations that the Taliban government in Afghanistan shelters militant groups launching attacks against Pakistan and aligns with its rival, India. The Taliban refutes these claims.
The conflict intensified last month when both countries targeted each other’s military installations following border skirmishes. Pakistan’s military operations aimed at the Pakistani Taliban and their support networks along the border, while Afghanistan retaliated by targeting Pakistani military installations in the Kohat district.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information dismissed Afghanistan’s claims, stating that Pakistani forces intercepted rudimentary drones deployed by the Taliban in Kohat. However, two civilians were injured by falling debris.
Afghanistan’s government spokesperson, Mujahid, asserted that Pakistani airstrikes hit civilian sites and uninhabited locations in Paktia, Paktika provinces, and other areas, vowing a response to the attacks.
In Kabul, police reported that at least four civilians, including children, were killed, and 15 others were injured. Additionally, a woman and a child were killed by a Pakistani mortar shell in Nangarhar province. The total number of casualties across Afghanistan remains unclear.
China intervened in the conflict as its special envoy met with officials in Pakistan and Afghanistan to discuss collective efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region.
Despite international calls for restraint, the conflict persists, with Pakistan targeting the outlawed Pakistani Taliban along the border and inside Afghanistan. The TTP’s increased attacks in Pakistan have prompted military operations to continue until Kabul takes action against the TTP and other militants in its territory.
A roadside bomb attack in northwest Pakistan killed six police officers, with suspicions pointing towards the TTP, which often claims such attacks. The TTP’s intensified attacks in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban regained control in 2021 have fueled Islamabad’s military actions to combat militant threats.
Efforts to broker peace, including a Qatari-mediated ceasefire and peace talks in Turkey, have so far failed to establish a lasting agreement to end the conflict.
