Pakistan Strikes Taliban Facilities in Southern Afghanistan

TDT | Manama

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Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated on Sunday after Pakistan said its forces carried out strikes on military facilities and alleged militant hideouts in southern Afghanistan.

According to Pakistani security sources, the operation targeted what they described as “terrorist infrastructure” in the city of Kandahar, a stronghold of the Afghan Taliban and home to the movement’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Officials said the strikes destroyed technical support infrastructure and an equipment storage facility.

Another strike reportedly targeted a tunnel in Kandahar believed to have been used by both the Afghan Taliban and the militant group Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad blames for a series of recent attacks inside Pakistan.

Residents in Kandahar told Agence France‑Presse (AFP) that military aircraft were seen flying over the city overnight, followed by loud explosions. One resident said planes flew over a mountain housing a military installation before an explosion occurred, with flames visible afterward.

Additional airstrike activity was also reported in Spin Boldak, southeast of Kandahar. Meanwhile, authorities in the eastern Afghan province of Khost said clashes took place along the border on Saturday night.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes caused limited damage, including to a drug rehabilitation centre and an empty shipping container in Kandahar. He added that the locations Pakistan claimed to target were far from those affected.

The escalation follows Pakistan’s claim on Saturday that it had intercepted drone attacks launched from Afghanistan the previous night. Officials said at least three locations in Pakistan were targeted, including the military headquarters in Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad.

The office of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari accused the Afghan Taliban of “crossing a red line” by allegedly targeting civilians and vowed a response.