Afghanistan’s Taliban-run Ministry of Defence says it carried out drone strikes against alleged Islamic State (IS) and other militant bases in Pakistan, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the two neighbours. Pakistan denied the claims, stating that only one drone was detected and neutralised.
According to the Taliban, the strikes targeted locations in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, including the districts of Qilla Abdullah, Chagai and Orakzai. The ministry said the operations were aimed at eliminating threats to Afghanistan’s security and warned that Kabul would continue taking action against any perceived danger.
The announcement came days after Pakistani air strikes on Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Kunar, Khost and Paktika, where 13 civilians were reportedly killed. Taliban-affiliated media described the latest operation as the beginning of a more offensive military approach, calling it a strategy of “pre-emptive defence” that allows threats to be targeted before they materialise.
Taliban-linked outlets also accused Pakistan of supporting IS fighters and other anti-Taliban armed groups, including former Afghan government forces. Afghan media cited local residents in Pakistan’s Balochistan province as alleging that armed Afghan groups had been deployed there to destabilise Afghanistan. Separately, a senior member of the anti-Taliban National Resistance Front had previously confirmed contacts with Pakistani officials.
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have remained strained, with both sides accusing each other of sheltering militant groups. Pakistan has repeatedly claimed that the Taliban allow Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants to operate from Afghan territory, while the Taliban deny the allegations.
If the Taliban continue to pursue what they describe as a policy of pre-emptive cross-border action, the risk of further military escalation between Afghanistan and Pakistan is likely to increase, particularly amid growing mutual accusations of support for armed groups.
