Pakistan’s armed forces on Wednesday carried out “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and capital Kabul, targeting key Afghan Taliban hideouts amid escalating hostilities along the border, state broadcaster PTV News reported.
According to security sources cited by PTV, the Pakistan Army’s retaliatory action destroyed Taliban Battalion No. 4 and Border Brigade No. 6, killing dozens of Afghan and foreign operatives. These precision strikes were executed with high accuracy, successfully eliminating identified militant positions, the statement read. The military reiterated its “full capability to deliver a decisive response to any external aggression.”
In a follow-up update, PTV confirmed that additional strikes were launched in Kabul, specifically targeting what it described as the centre and leadership of Fitna al-Hindustan.
Security officials stated that Taliban Battalion Headquarters Nos. 4 and 8, along with Border Brigade No. 5, were hit in Kandahar. Authorities emphasized that “all targets were carefully isolated from civilian populations and completely destroyed.”
Earlier in the day, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that Pakistani forces repelled coordinated Taliban attacks at four different locations in the Spin Boldak area of Balochistan. The ISPR reported that 15–20 Taliban militants were killed, while Pakistani positions remained secure.
This marks the third major border clash in less than a week, following incidents in Kurram and other frontier regions since Saturday.
According to ISPR, 23 Pakistani troops were martyred and 29 injured in the recent wave of cross-border attacks. Intelligence assessments estimate that over 200 Taliban and affiliated fighters were neutralized in retaliatory operations.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, claimed the attacks were in retaliation for Pakistani air strikes allegedly conducted last week a claim Islamabad has not confirmed, though it reiterated its right to defend national sovereignty.
The rising tensions come as Pakistan continues to urge Kabul to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan territory for attacks against Pakistan an accusation the Afghan regime denies.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking earlier this week, said there are currently “no ties” between Islamabad and Kabul, describing the situation as a “stalemate” with a persistently hostile environment. He cautioned that active hostilities could resume at any time.