Afghanistan says it has carried out air strikes inside Pakistan, targeting what it described as hideouts used by armed groups and “hostile intelligence circles”, in a move that threatens the already fragile ceasefire between the neighbouring countries.
According to Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry, the strikes were conducted on Thursday night against locations in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, which border Afghanistan. Kabul alleged that the sites were being used to plan attacks against Afghanistan in cooperation with hostile intelligence agencies.
Pakistan rejected Afghanistan’s claims, according to reports, as relations between the two countries remain strained. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of harbouring fighters responsible for deadly attacks inside Pakistan, particularly members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), allegations Afghanistan denies.
Cross-border fighting has intensified in recent months despite Chinese-led mediation efforts. The United Nations reported that fighting in the first three months of 2026 killed at least 372 Afghan civilians and injured nearly 400 others.
Afghanistan warned that it would use all available means to eliminate threats to its security, signalling the possibility of further escalation between the two neighbours.
