Pakistan struck 10 targets in Afghanistan after intercepting drones launched from Afghan territory

Pakistan carried out airstrikes and drone strikes against 10 targets in Khost province, southeastern Afghanistan, after detecting drones launched from Afghan territory, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced Thursday. According to him, the targets were used to launch and store the drones involved in an attempted attack on Pakistan.

Pakistani air defense systems tracked and neutralized the drones before they reached their intended targets, the minister claimed. Islamabad subsequently launched “precision air and drone strikes,” saying the attacks were limited to military targets. Authorities in Khost province said no casualties had been reported.

The attacks are escalating tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban government in Kabul. Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants responsible for cross-border attacks, an accusation rejected by the Taliban.

The clashes intensified after an attack on a police unit in northwestern Pakistan left at least 24 people dead last week. Earlier this week, Pakistan announced that it had killed 28 militants in attacks along the border, while Afghan officials accused Islamabad of killing civilians. The most serious recent incident occurred in March, when a Pakistani attack on Kabul reportedly killed more than 400 people, according to the Taliban.