Pakistan has carried out its second round of strikes inside Afghanistan this week, targeting multiple locations across the country, including areas in Kandahar, the hometown of Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, according to local residents and Pakistani officials.
Pakistan’s government said it conducted precision aerial and drone strikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan. While Islamabad did not publicly identify the locations, residents in Kandahar reported hearing military aircraft followed by a large explosion and seeing flames rising from parts of the city. The strike has drawn particular attention because Kandahar is considered the spiritual and political centre of the Taliban movement.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the operation was a response to what Islamabad described as Taliban-linked aggression. According to Pakistan, militants had launched eight drones into Pakistani territory and shelled border areas a day earlier. Tarar said the Pakistani military targeted facilities allegedly used to launch and store drones.
“The strikes were deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate,” he said, adding that Pakistan would not tolerate attacks originating from Afghan territory, whether carried out by militant groups or individuals linked to the Taliban administration.
The operation comes just three days after Pakistan conducted strikes in eastern Afghanistan, signalling a sharp escalation in tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban government in Kabul. Relations between the two neighbours have deteriorated in recent months over border security, militant activity and cross-border attacks.
Pakistan maintains that its actions are directed against security threats and militant infrastructure. However, previous strikes have generated controversy. Following earlier attacks, both Taliban authorities and the United Nations mission in Afghanistan reported civilian casualties, including at least three deaths, raising concerns about the humanitarian impact of cross-border military operations.
The latest strike is likely to further strain relations between the two countries and increase fears of a broader security confrontation along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, one of the most volatile regions in South Asia.