5Islamabad: Pakistan carried out air and drone strikes at 10 locations in Afghanistan on Thursday, saying the operation was in response to drones that entered Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan a day earlier.
Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes targeted locations used to launch and store drones. He described the operation as a response to what Pakistan called an unlawful incursion into its territory.
Pakistan said its air defence systems detected, tracked and neutralised the drones before they could reach their intended targets. Pakistani security officials said eight drones had been intercepted after being launched from Afghanistan.
Afghan officials have confirmed that Pakistani aircraft carried out strikes in several parts of the country. However, the Taliban government has denied carrying out attacks against Pakistan and rejects Islamabad's accusations that militant groups are operating from Afghan territory and carrying out attacks against Pakistan.
Reports from Afghan provincial officials said strikes took place in Khost and Paktia provinces. In Khost, provincial officials said Pakistani aircraft struck several areas at about 3:30 a.m. local time. They reported no casualties.
In Paktia, provincial spokesman Mohammad Rasool Ahmadi said Pakistani aircraft struck the Afghan army's 203rd Mansouri Corps. He did not provide information about casualties.
An overnight strike was also reported in Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan. A resident said a jet was heard before a large explosion and a fire was seen in the city. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid later said the strike hit an open area in the ninth district of Kandahar and caused no casualties.
Pakistan has not publicly provided a complete list of the 10 locations it says were targeted.
The latest strikes mark another sharp escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which have been engaged in a growing dispute over militant attacks across their border and the presence of armed groups in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has accused the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan, commonly known as the TTP, and other militant groups of using Afghan territory to plan and carry out attacks against Pakistan. Islamabad has repeatedly called on the Taliban authorities to take action against these groups.
The Taliban government rejects those accusations. Afghanistan has also condemned Pakistani military strikes inside its territory as violations of its sovereignty.
The latest confrontation follows Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan on September 21. Pakistan said those strikes killed 28 militants. Afghan authorities reported that three civilians were killed and four others were injured. The United Nations confirmed the civilian deaths.
The September 21 strikes came amid a wider increase in violence along the Pakistan Afghanistan border. Pakistan has linked the escalation to attacks by militants that it says are operating from Afghan territory.
The latest drone incident has added another layer to the dispute. Pakistan says the drones came from Afghanistan, but there has been no independent confirmation establishing who launched them. The Taliban has denied responsibility for attacks against Pakistan.
The United Nations has expressed concern over the worsening relations between the two countries and has urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to reduce tensions and pursue dialogue. The UN has also warned about the impact of the violence on civilians and communities.
Regional countries including China, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been involved in efforts to reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The latest escalation comes as regional countries continue efforts to mediate between the two sides.
For now, the full impact of Thursday's strikes remains unclear. Afghan officials in Khost have reported no casualties, while information about casualties in other areas remains incomplete. The precise locations of all 10 Pakistani targets and responsibility for the drone attacks also remain disputed.
The latest developments underline the deepening security dispute between the two neighbours. Pakistan says it will respond to further attacks that it says are launched from Afghan territory, while the Taliban government rejects Pakistan's accusations and objects to military operations inside Afghanistan.