Daijiworld Media Network - Islamabad
Islamabad, Mar 2: The Afghan Air Force carried out drone strikes on key Pakistani military installations, including the Nur Khan Airbase, the 12th Corps headquarters in Quetta, the Khowizoo Camp in Mohmand Agency of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Ghulni military base, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two neighbours.
In a post on X, Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense said the operations were conducted in response to recent aerial incursions by the Pakistani military.
“Today, the Air Force of the Ministry of National Defense conducted precise and coordinated aerial operations against key military installations in Pakistan,” the statement said, adding that preliminary assessments indicated significant damage to the intended targets.
The ministry alleged that the strikes were retaliation for Pakistani air attacks on Kabul, Bagram and other regions. It warned that any further violations of Afghan airspace or acts of aggression would invite a “swift, decisive and proportionate response”.
Afghanistan also shared visuals purportedly showing a kamikaze drone and images of a Pakistani airbase.
The development follows intensified hostilities after Pakistan bombed major Afghan cities, including Kabul, with Islamabad’s defence minister declaring the situation as “open war” after months of tit-for-tat clashes.
Pakistan claimed that its airstrikes killed over 270 Taliban fighters and injured more than 400. However, Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghan forces had killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and targeted “important military objectives” inside Pakistan.
Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif alleged that Islamabad had attempted diplomatic engagement but accused the Taliban of acting as a proxy for India.
The Afghan Taliban reportedly attacked several check posts along the border to avenge Pakistani air strikes in Afghanistan’s frontier regions. Pakistan responded with strikes in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia under ‘Operation Ghazab lil Haq’.
The 2,611-km border between the two countries, known as the Durand Line, remains a longstanding source of dispute, as Kabul has not formally recognised it.
In recent days, both sides have exchanged heavy fire. Afghan authorities also claimed to have shot down a Pakistani fighter jet over Jalalabad and captured its pilot alive. Police and military spokespersons in eastern Afghanistan confirmed the claim.
However, Pakistan dismissed the allegation, terming the jet crash claim as “totally untrue”.
The situation remains tense, with fears that continued retaliatory strikes could further destabilise the region.