Pakistan-Taliban tensions explode after Kabul Air strikes trigger civilian target row

Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities traded sharp accusations on Tuesday after Islamabad said it carried out precision overnight air strikes on targets in Kabul and Nangarhar Province , while the Taliban claimed a civilian facility was hit.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the strikes were part of “Operation Ghazab lil Haq,” launched on February 26, and targeted military installations, weapons depots, drone facilities, and logistical infrastructure allegedly used by militant groups for cross-border attacks on Pakistani civilians. Officials maintained that the operation focused strictly on what they described as terrorist infrastructure and was conducted with precision to avoid collateral damage.

Taliban authorities, however, said one of the sites struck was a drug rehabilitation centre, accusing Pakistan of hitting civilian infrastructure. Islamabad strongly rejected the claim, calling it “misreporting” intended to inflame public sentiment and conceal support for anti-Pakistan militants operating near the border.

Security sources in Pakistan said multiple locations were struck in Nangarhar and Kabul, including facilities believed to house ammunition, technical equipment, and drone assembly workshops. They reported secondary explosions following the strikes, which they said indicated the presence of stored weapons. Unconfirmed reports suggested that several militants were killed.

Additional operations were also reported along the frontier in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, particularly in the Kurram and Bajaur sectors, where Pakistani forces said they targeted militant hideouts and cross-border firing positions with guided missiles.

The exchange of claims highlights escalating tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan, with both sides accusing each other of harboring or supporting militant groups amid a surge in border violence. Independent verification of the targets and casualties was not immediately possible.