Pakistan carried out air and drone strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan after drones launched from Afghan territory entered Pakistani airspace, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Thursday, describing the action as a response to what he called an unlawful violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Tarar said the strikes targeted sites used to launch and store drones and were conducted in what Pakistan described as an exercise of its right to self-defence. He said the targets were limited to military objectives that Islamabad linked directly to the attempted drone attacks.
The strikes followed Pakistan’s reported interception of eight drones on Wednesday after they entered its airspace from Afghanistan. According to Pakistani security sources, four drones were brought down near the Torkham border while four others were intercepted in mountainous areas near Kohat.
Tarar said Pakistan’s air defence systems detected, tracked and neutralised all the intruding drones before they could reach their intended targets.
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He said Pakistan had repeatedly raised concerns with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities and their interlocutors over what Islamabad describes as militant sanctuaries and support networks operating from Afghan territory.
“Pakistan does not seek escalation and remains committed to regional peace, dialogue and constructive engagement,” Tarar said, while warning that this position should not be interpreted as acceptance of further attacks.
Pakistan called on the Afghan Taliban authorities to halt what it described as hostile activity and take concrete and verifiable action against militant groups operating from Afghan soil.
The latest strikes mark another escalation in already strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul. Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have denied accusations that they allow armed groups to use Afghan territory for attacks against Pakistan.
Afghan authorities also reported civilian casualties following the latest strikes. Reuters reported that Kabul said four civilians were killed, while Afghan officials in Khost said the strikes there caused no casualties. The differing accounts could not be independently reconciled immediately.
The latest action comes days after Pakistan conducted another round of airstrikes against suspected militant locations in Afghanistan. Pakistan said those September 21 strikes killed 28 militants, while Afghan authorities and the United Nations reported that three civilians were killed.
The escalation follows a series of attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Islamabad has repeatedly accused militant groups based in Afghanistan of carrying out or supporting attacks inside Pakistan, while Kabul rejects the allegations.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have experienced several rounds of cross-border fighting and diplomatic tensions this year. Previous clashes have also prompted mediation efforts involving countries including China, Türkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Tarar said Pakistan would take measures it considers necessary to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity and citizens, while maintaining that Islamabad does not seek a broader escalation.
