Pakistan has launched a series of air strikes into neighbouring Afghanistan, sources confirm, killing at least 15 people and reviving the long-simmering border crisis. The strikes targeted villages in the Khost and Kunar provinces, with unconfirmed reports of further casualties among civilians and militant groups. The Pakistani military claims the operation aimed at militant hideouts, but Afghan officials denounce it as a violation of sovereignty.
Documents obtained by this desk reveal a pattern of escalating rhetoric from Islamabad. In recent weeks, Pakistani officials accused the Taliban government in Kabul of harbouring Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters who launch cross-border attacks. The Pakistan Air Force acted on intelligence, according to a defence source, but the strike radius suggests poor targeting or deliberate disregard for civilian zones.
The attack reignites a volatile frontier. Afghanistan's Ministry of Defence says retaliatory fire was directed at Pakistani border posts, but details remain murky. The Taliban government, already struggling with international isolation, now faces internal pressure to respond. Local elders in Khost report families pulling children from rubble. One farmer told our correspondent: "They came from the sky. We had no warning."
This is not the first time Pakistan has crossed the border. A 2022 report from a Western intelligence agency, leaked to this office, detailed at least four previous air strikes since the Taliban takeover, each denied or minimised by both sides. But this time, the scale is larger and the timing more fraught. The strikes coincide with a surge in TTP attacks inside Pakistan, where police and military convoys are targeted weekly.
Experts trace the roots to the Durand Line, a colonial-era border never accepted by Afghanistan. The line splits Pashtun communities, and the TTP exploits this grievance. Pakistan accuses Kabul of failing to control the border, while Afghanistan charges Pakistan with violating its airspace. The United Nations has called for restraint, but their words carry little weight in the mountains.
Money and power underwrite this conflict. Pakistan's military receives billions in US and Chinese aid, with strict conditions to counter terrorism. But one analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity, told me: "The army uses this aid to bomb villages, not to stabilise the region. The militants are replaceable. The civilians are not."
As night falls, aid workers report difficulty reaching wounded in remote areas. The Taliban government has promised to retaliate, though its capacity remains limited. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Prime Minister faces a domestic political crisis. A weak leader often chooses a foreign enemy to distract. The dead in Afghanistan will not vote in Pakistan's elections, but their blood now stains the campaign trail.
This is a developing story. I will follow the money and the bodies. They always lead somewhere.
