The Pakistan Army carried out a series of large-scale and targeted strikes on Afghan Taliban positions following intense border clashes that erupted late Saturday, Pakistani security officials said.
The violence comes days after Pakistan reportedly conducted an airstrike in Kabul, escalating tensions between the two neighbors.
According to Pakistani officials, the latest exchange of fire began when Taliban fighters attacked multiple Pakistani border posts.
“We are responding with full force to unprovoked firing from across the border,” the officials said, describing firefights at more than six locations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier.
Pakistan’s Air Force was reported to have struck several “critical military sites” belonging to the Afghan Taliban during the operation. Security sources said the attacks were intended to neutralize militant positions responsible for repeated assaults on Pakistani territory. No official figures on casualties or damage were immediately available.
Islamabad has long accused the Taliban government in Kabul of allowing militant groups — particularly the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — to operate freely on Afghan soil. The TTP, which shares ideological roots with the Afghan Taliban, has carried out numerous attacks inside Pakistan in recent months, targeting security forces and border infrastructure.
Pakistan’s military leadership has repeatedly warned that cross-border militant activity poses a direct threat to national security. Officials say that despite repeated diplomatic engagements, Kabul has failed to prevent TTP fighters from launching attacks from Afghan territory.
“Afghanistan continues to serve as a safe haven for anti-Pakistan elements,” one senior security source said.
Afghan officials, however, denied Pakistan’s accusations and condemned what they described as airspace violations. Authorities in Kabul said that Islamabad’s airstrikes inside Afghan territory were “unacceptable” and warned that such actions could worsen an already fragile security environment.
The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan — known as the Durand Line — has been a long-standing flashpoint between the two countries. The mountainous frontier, stretching more than 2,600 kilometers, is difficult to patrol and has served as a conduit for armed groups and smuggling networks for decades. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Islamabad has accused Kabul of failing to contain insurgent movements, while the Afghan Taliban leadership has opposed Pakistan’s ongoing border fortification efforts.
Regional observers say the latest clashes represent one of the most intense confrontations between the two sides since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. The Pakistani airstrikes were reportedly carried out by fighter jets and long-range precision munitions.
Pakistan’s government maintains that its operations are defensive in nature and aimed at safeguarding its borders. In recent statements, senior officials have reiterated that the country will “take all necessary measures” to eliminate militant threats emanating from across the frontier.