Pakistan carried out overnight airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday night, targeting what it described as 7 Terrorist Hideouts near the border, as local sources reported strikes in several districts of Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday night, targeting what it described as militant camps near the border, as local sources reported strikes in several districts of Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the strikes were intelligence-based and selective, aimed at seven sites described as camps and hideouts used by militants linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Islamic State – Khorasan Province.
Pakistani officials framed the operation as a response to a series of suicide bombings inside the country. The targets were reportedly located along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border region, an area that has long been a focal point of insurgent activity and cross-border infiltration.
While Islamabad described the strikes as precise, independent verification of the exact targets, aircraft involved, and battle damage assessment has not yet been publicly released.
Local sources in Afghanistan reported multiple aerial strikes across the eastern regions of the country. Impacts were reported in districts of Nangarhar Province, including Khogyani, Ghani Khil, and Behsud. Another strike was reported in the Barmal district of Paktika Province.
Witnesses described aircraft activity shortly before explosions were heard in the targeted areas. The timing and pattern of impacts suggest coordinated strikes against multiple locations within a relatively short window. Casualty figures and structural damage remain unclear.
Although Pakistan has not disclosed the platforms used, such cross-border precision strikes are typically conducted by assets from the Pakistan Air Force. In past counter-terror operations, the service has relied on aircraft such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the JF-17 Thunder, both capable of delivering precision-guided munitions.
Pakistan has long accused the Taliban administration of failing to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks into Pakistan. Afghan authorities have repeatedly rejected those accusations.
The airstrikes represent a significant escalation in how Pakistan is willing to address those concerns—moving from border security measures to direct aerial operations across the frontier.
