Pakistan has carried out air and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan following what Islamabad described as attempted drone attacks launched from Afghan territory.
Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on September 24 that the country's air defence systems detected, tracked and neutralised drones that had entered Pakistani airspace a day earlier. According to the Pakistani government, the drones were stopped before reaching their intended targets.
Following the incident, Pakistan conducted what it described as precision aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan. Islamabad said the sites were being used to launch or store drones and that the strikes were limited to identified military objectives connected to the attempted attacks.
Afghan officials confirmed that Pakistani aircraft carried out strikes in several areas of Khost province in southeastern Afghanistan. Mustaghfir Gurbaz, a spokesperson for the Khost governor, said there were no casualties from the reported strikes.
The latest military action comes amid renewed tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of allowing militant groups to operate from Afghan territory and carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul rejects the accusation and maintains that militancy inside Pakistan is an internal issue.
The situation has become more tense following several recent security incidents along the two countries' border. Earlier this week, Pakistan also reported carrying out airstrikes against militant targets in Afghanistan, while Afghan officials and the UN reported civilian casualties from those earlier strikes.
The latest strikes could further complicate efforts by countries including China, TĂĽrkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to help reduce tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. The two sides have previously experienced periods of serious fighting, while disagreements over cross-border militancy remain a major source of tension.
Pakistan has said it will respond to what it considers further attacks or incursions from Afghan territory. Afghanistan, meanwhile, has previously condemned Pakistani strikes as violations of its sovereignty.
The latest developments remain part of a rapidly changing security situation. Claims from both sides about military targets, militant activity and casualties may require further independent verification as more information becomes available.