The Pakistani government confirmed in the early hours of the morning that airstrikes had been launched in Kabul and other urban centers in Afghanistan, particularly in the provinces of Kandahar and Paktia. The strikes came just hours after the Taliban government announced it had targeted Pakistani military installations along the border between the two countries in retaliation for deadly Pakistani bombings over the weekend.
According to Pakistan’s Minister of Information, Ataullah Tarar, defensive positions of the “Afghan Taliban regime” in Kabul, as well as in Paktia and Kandahar provinces, were targeted. He made the announcement via the social media platform X.
Minister Tarar reported at least 133 fatalities and more than 200 injuries among Afghan Taliban forces.
The same statement was also issued on X by Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Local media in the Afghan capital reported that multiple powerful explosions shook Kabul in the early morning hours. The blasts were heard across the city starting at approximately 1:50 a.m. local time, while the sound of fighter jet engines was heard overhead, according to an AFP team on the ground.
The explosions were followed by bursts of machine-gun fire, which journalists in the city center reported hearing at around 2:30 a.m. local time.
The United Nations also expressed concern over the developments.
“The Secretary-General is following with concern reports of cross-border clashes between the de facto security forces in Afghanistan and Pakistani forces,” said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in a statement.
“He calls on the parties involved to fulfill their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and to ensure the protection of civilians,” he added.
Dujarric also noted that “the Secretary-General welcomes the mediation efforts undertaken by several Member States in recent months and urges the parties to continue seeking a diplomatic resolution to any disputes.”
