October 1, 2026
The tension between Islamabad and Kabul witnessed an escalation on the ground, following the announcement by the Pakistani authorities of carrying out air strikes targeting sites of armed groups inside Afghan territory, in a move that was matched by the Taliban government’s announcement of civilian casualties and material damage.
The Pakistani Ministry of Information confirmed, in a statement published on the “X” platform on Thursday, that the raids were “planned and deliberate,” and were based on “reliable intelligence information.” She explained that the operations precisely targeted camps and hideouts in two locations in Afghanistan belonging to the “Sedition of the Kharijites” and “Sedition of India” groups, in addition to groups allied with them.
On the other hand, the spokesman for the Taliban government, Zabihullah Mujahid, issued a statement on the same platform, in which he announced that the strikes carried out on Wednesday night, Thursday, affected the provinces of Helmand in the south of the country and Kanar in the east, killing 9 civilians and wounding 11 others, in addition to destroying three homes.
These developments come in light of constant accusations exchanged by both sides. Islamabad accuses the Afghan side of harboring armed elements who use Afghanistan’s territory as a launching pad for planning and launching attacks inside Pakistani territory, which reflects a wide gap between the two sides’ narratives regarding the nature of the targeted targets and the results of recent military operations.
