Pakistan Launches Airstrikes on Afghan Military Base Following Taliban Drone Attacks

Islamabad. Following drone attacks by the Taliban in various cities across Pakistan, the Pakistani military retaliated by launching intense airstrikes on a military base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Pakistani fighter jets bombed Kandahar on Saturday, immediately after Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari issued a stern warning, stating that the Taliban's drone attacks had crossed a red line.

Pakistan claims that the drone attacks on Pakistan were directed from that specific military area in Kandahar. However, Taliban officials stated that Pakistan also damaged Kam Air's fuel depot and a humanitarian aid storage center.

Earlier, on Friday night, Pakistani forces intercepted drones sent by the Taliban mid-flight. Debris from these drones injured several civilians, including two children, in Quetta, Kohat, and Rawalpindi. The airspace of the capital, Islamabad, was also temporarily closed due to the threat of drone attacks.

The United Nations has reported that 75 civilians have lost their lives and 193 have been injured in this military confrontation that began on February 26. Among those killed are 24 children.

Approximately 115,000 people in the border regions have been displaced due to the conflict. Although the Afghan Ministry of Defense claimed to have killed 14 Pakistani soldiers and captured a border post, Pakistan dismissed this as Taliban fantasy.

Pakistan has consistently accused militants from the TTP and ISIS-K operating in Afghanistan of spreading unrest in its country. Conversely, the Taliban has expressed anger, claiming that innocent and poor people were killed in the Pakistani attacks.

Amid rising regional tensions due to the war between the US-Israel and Iran, this clash between Pakistan and Afghanistan risks further destabilizing South Asia. Although China urged both countries to exercise restraint and resolve the issue through dialogue, tensions on the border have not yet subsided.