Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan militant hideouts risk new clash with Kabul
Pakistani jets hit suspected Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan hideouts in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Paktika provinces, in retaliatory raids that reportedly killed at least three people.
Pakistan has taken its fight with militants across the border into Afghanistan, launching airstrikes that threaten to reopen serious tensions with Kabul’s Taliban government.
According to reports, Pakistani jets struck suspected Tehrik‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar and southeastern Paktika provinces. The raids targeted the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction after deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces. At least three people were reported killed, though details on who they were remain unclear.
The strikes highlight how Pakistan’s internal security problems now run through Taliban‑ruled Afghanistan. Islamabad has long argued that groups like the TTP use Afghan territory as a safe haven. Taliban officials typically downplay or deny this, and they view cross‑border strikes as a violation of Afghan sovereignty.
For residents of Kunar and Paktika, poor and conflict‑hit even before the Taliban took power, renewed air raids add to a long‑running cycle of violence. Villages near militant positions risk being caught between armed groups and state forces on both sides of the frontier.
Each Pakistani strike on Afghan soil also puts pressure on a fragile relationship. Afghanistan relies heavily on trade and access to ports through Pakistan, while Pakistan needs at least some cooperation from Kabul to contain militants along the border.
If the Taliban respond with sharp public protests, tighter border restrictions or threats of their own, or if the TTP carries out new attacks presented as retaliation, it will indicate how far this latest round of strikes is pushing the two neighbors toward a deeper confrontation.
Sources
- OSINT