The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes inside eastern Afghanistan, alleging that the attacks caused heavy damage and resulted in the deaths and injuries of several civilians. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that Pakistani aircraft targeted areas in the eastern provinces of Paktika, Paktia, and Kunar. In a statement shared on social media platform X, Mujahid criticised the strikes and described them as an act of aggression against Afghanistan. Calling the operation a "cowardly act of aggression," the Taliban government accused Islamabad of violating Afghan territory and targeting civilian areas.

According to reports, the strikes were carried out near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Sunday, with Pakistan claiming that 29 militants were killed during the operation. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the country’s security forces conducted a coordinated operation based on intelligence inputs, involving both ground action and airstrikes in the border region.

The minister stated that the operation was launched in response to a series of militant attacks inside Pakistan, including assaults on security installations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and an attack targeting a paramilitary facility in Karachi. Tensions between the two neighbouring countries had already been rising after militants attacked the headquarters of the Pakistan Sindh Rangers in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar area. According to officials, the attack involved a vehicle being used to breach the entrance, leading to an exchange of fire and explosions. Several security personnel and attackers were killed in the incident.

A faction linked to Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), reportedly claimed responsibility for the Karachi attack. The latest military exchange has further strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul, with both sides accusing each other of allowing or supporting militant activities across the border.

The escalation comes weeks after Pakistan carried out earlier strikes inside Afghanistan, targeting what it described as militant hideouts. The recent violence has disrupted a period of relative calm between the two countries and raised concerns over renewed instability along the border. Since the beginning of the year, repeated clashes and retaliatory actions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have resulted in significant casualties, while multiple diplomatic efforts to establish a lasting ceasefire have struggled due to continued tensions.

China had earlier hosted talks between the two sides in an attempt to reduce hostilities, with both countries reportedly agreeing to work toward lowering tensions. However, the latest accusations and military actions have created fresh uncertainty over the future of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.