Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan's air-defence systems detected drones entering from Afghan territory on Wednesday and neutralised them before they reached their intended targets.
Islamabad said it subsequently carried out aerial and drone strikes against 10 sites inside Afghanistan.
According to Tarar, the operation was directed at what Pakistan described as military objectives connected to the alleged drone attacks, including launching and storage facilities. Pakistan presented the operation as an exercise of self-defence. Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation
However, Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have rejected the allegation that their government launched drones into Pakistan.
That disagreement is important: while Pakistan's September 24 strikes themselves are confirmed by both sides, the claim that Afghanistan was responsible for the preceding drone activity remains disputed in the sources reviewed.
Afghanistan reports four civilian deaths
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani attacks struck Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces.
Mujahid said four civilians were killed and warned that Afghanistan would respond to the attacks. Al Jazeera also reported an account from a Kandahar resident who described hearing an aircraft followed by a powerful explosion and seeing a fire in the city.
Reuters independently reported the Afghan government's four-civilian death toll but did not independently establish the status of the sites Pakistan said it attacked.
The incident follows another round of Pakistani strikes earlier in the week. On September 21, Pakistan said operations inside Afghanistan killed 28 militants. Afghan authorities, however, said three civilians were killed, and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan confirmed at least three civilian deaths and four injuries from apparent air strikes in Kunar province.
Years of accusations over militant sanctuaries
Relations between Islamabad and Afghanistan's Taliban government have deteriorated sharply over the activities of armed groups operating around their long and difficult-to-police frontier.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of allowing militants, particularly fighters associated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied organisations, to use Afghan territory to plan attacks inside Pakistan.
The Afghan Taliban government denies harbouring groups responsible for attacks in Pakistan and has argued that Islamabad's domestic security problems should not be blamed on Afghanistan. Reuters
The TTP is distinct from Afghanistan's Taliban government, although the two movements have historical and ideological links.
Recent militant violence inside Pakistan has added to the tensions. An attack on a police facility in northwestern Pakistan last week killed at least 24 people, according to Reuters' latest account. Internazionale
Fighting spreads to border
The situation became more serious after the September 24 air raids.
On Friday, Pakistani security sources told Reuters that Pakistani forces had stopped what they described as an attempted Afghan attack around Gulistan, along the border, killing several Afghan Taliban members.
The sources said intermittent firing was continuing between Pakistani forces and Afghan Taliban fighters. Afghanistan had not immediately provided its version of the incident when Reuters reported the development.
Pakistan's state-run Associated Press of Pakistan similarly reported that Afghan Taliban fighters attempted to enter Pakistani territory in the Gulistan sector and that several were killed in the Pakistani response. Because the report relies on Pakistani security sources, the circumstances and casualty figures require independent confirmation. Associated Press of Pakistan
The latest fighting therefore appears to represent an escalation beyond the September 24 air strikes, but claims about who initiated the border confrontation remain contested.
Regional mediation faces another test
The renewed confrontation threatens attempts by regional governments to reduce hostilities between Kabul and Islamabad.
China, Türkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been involved in efforts aimed at promoting a more durable settlement between the two sides, according to reports on the escalating dispute. Al Jazeera
The latest strikes demonstrate how quickly the relationship can deteriorate when militant attacks, disputed cross-border operations and competing accusations become intertwined.
For now, two elements are clear: Pakistan acknowledges conducting strikes against 10 locations inside Afghanistan, and Afghanistan says four civilians were killed.
https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/9/24/four-civilians-killed-in-pakistani-airstrikes-in-afghanistan?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Beyond those established points, major questions remain disputed — particularly responsibility for the alleged drone attacks that Pakistan says triggered its operation.
With exchanges of fire subsequently reported along the frontier, attention is now turning to whether Kabul and Islamabad pursue diplomatic channels or whether the confrontation develops into another sustained round of cross-border fighting.War
Pakistan Strikes 10 Sites in Afghanistan as Kabul Vows Response, Border Fighting Intensifies
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have entered another dangerous phase after Pakistani forces carried out air and drone strikes against multiple locations inside Afghanistan, prompting Kabul to accuse Islamabad of aggression and promise a response.
Pakistan said Thursday's operation targeted 10 locations that it alleged were being used to launch and store drones. Afghanistan's Taliban authorities disputed Pakistan's account and said four civilians were killed in attacks across several provinces.
The confrontation did not appear to end with the air raids. By Friday, September 25, Pakistani security sources were reporting renewed exchanges of fire along the border, further raising concerns that the latest round of strikes could develop into a wider confrontation between the neighbours. Internazionale
Pakistan says strikes followed drone incursions
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan's air-defence systems detected drones entering from Afghan territory on Wednesday and neutralised them before they reached their intended targets.
Islamabad said it subsequently carried out aerial and drone strikes against 10 sites inside Afghanistan.
According to Tarar, the operation was directed at what Pakistan described as military objectives connected to the alleged drone attacks, including launching and storage facilities. Pakistan presented the operation as an exercise of self-defence. Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation
However, Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have rejected the allegation that their government launched drones into Pakistan.
That disagreement is important: while Pakistan's September 24 strikes themselves are confirmed by both sides, the claim that Afghanistan was responsible for the preceding drone activity remains disputed in the sources reviewed.
Afghanistan reports four civilian deaths
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani attacks struck Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces.
Mujahid said four civilians were killed and warned that Afghanistan would respond to the attacks. Al Jazeera also reported an account from a Kandahar resident who described hearing an aircraft followed by a powerful explosion and seeing a fire in the city.
Reuters independently reported the Afghan government's four-civilian death toll but did not independently establish the status of the sites Pakistan said it attacked.
The incident follows another round of Pakistani strikes earlier in the week. On September 21, Pakistan said operations inside Afghanistan killed 28 militants. Afghan authorities, however, said three civilians were killed, and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan confirmed at least three civilian deaths and four injuries from apparent air strikes in Kunar province.
Years of accusations over militant sanctuaries
Relations between Islamabad and Afghanistan's Taliban government have deteriorated sharply over the activities of armed groups operating around their long and difficult-to-police frontier.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of allowing militants, particularly fighters associated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied organisations, to use Afghan territory to plan attacks inside Pakistan.
The Afghan Taliban government denies harbouring groups responsible for attacks in Pakistan and has argued that Islamabad's domestic security problems should not be blamed on Afghanistan. Reuters
The TTP is distinct from Afghanistan's Taliban government, although the two movements have historical and ideological links.
Recent militant violence inside Pakistan has added to the tensions. An attack on a police facility in northwestern Pakistan last week killed at least 24 people, according to Reuters' latest account. Internazionale
Fighting spreads to border
The situation became more serious after the September 24 air raids.
On Friday, Pakistani security sources told Reuters that Pakistani forces had stopped what they described as an attempted Afghan attack around Gulistan, along the border, killing several Afghan Taliban members.
The sources said intermittent firing was continuing between Pakistani forces and Afghan Taliban fighters. Afghanistan had not immediately provided its version of the incident when Reuters reported the development.
Pakistan's state-run Associated Press of Pakistan similarly reported that Afghan Taliban fighters attempted to enter Pakistani territory in the Gulistan sector and that several were killed in the Pakistani response. Because the report relies on Pakistani security sources, the circumstances and casualty figures require independent confirmation. Associated Press of Pakistan
The latest fighting therefore appears to represent an escalation beyond the September 24 air strikes, but claims about who initiated the border confrontation remain contested.
Regional mediation faces another test
The renewed confrontation threatens attempts by regional governments to reduce hostilities between Kabul and Islamabad.
China, Türkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been involved in efforts aimed at promoting a more durable settlement between the two sides, according to reports on the escalating dispute. Al Jazeera
The latest strikes demonstrate how quickly the relationship can deteriorate when militant attacks, disputed cross-border operations and competing accusations become intertwined.
For now, two elements are clear: Pakistan acknowledges conducting strikes against 10 locations inside Afghanistan, and Afghanistan says four civilians were killed.
https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/9/24/four-civilians-killed-in-pakistani-airstrikes-in-afghanistan?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Beyond those established points, major questions remain disputed — particularly responsibility for the alleged drone attacks that Pakistan says triggered its operation.
With exchanges of fire subsequently reported along the frontier, attention is now turning to whether Kabul and Islamabad pursue diplomatic channels or whether the confrontation develops into another sustained round of cross-border fighting.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan's air-defence systems detected drones entering from Afghan territory on Wednesday and neutralised them before they reached their intended targets.
Islamabad said it subsequently carried out aerial and drone strikes against 10 sites inside Afghanistan.
According to Tarar, the operation was directed at what Pakistan described as military objectives connected to the alleged drone attacks, including launching and storage facilities. Pakistan presented the operation as an exercise of self-defence. Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation
However, Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have rejected the allegation that their government launched drones into Pakistan.
That disagreement is important: while Pakistan's September 24 strikes themselves are confirmed by both sides, the claim that Afghanistan was responsible for the preceding drone activity remains disputed in the sources reviewed.
Afghanistan reports four civilian deaths
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani attacks struck Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces.
Mujahid said four civilians were killed and warned that Afghanistan would respond to the attacks. Al Jazeera also reported an account from a Kandahar resident who described hearing an aircraft followed by a powerful explosion and seeing a fire in the city.
Reuters independently reported the Afghan government's four-civilian death toll but did not independently establish the status of the sites Pakistan said it attacked.
The incident follows another round of Pakistani strikes earlier in the week. On September 21, Pakistan said operations inside Afghanistan killed 28 militants. Afghan authorities, however, said three civilians were killed, and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan confirmed at least three civilian deaths and four injuries from apparent air strikes in Kunar province.
Years of accusations over militant sanctuaries
Relations between Islamabad and Afghanistan's Taliban government have deteriorated sharply over the activities of armed groups operating around their long and difficult-to-police frontier.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of allowing militants, particularly fighters associated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied organisations, to use Afghan territory to plan attacks inside Pakistan.
The Afghan Taliban government denies harbouring groups responsible for attacks in Pakistan and has argued that Islamabad's domestic security problems should not be blamed on Afghanistan. Reuters
The TTP is distinct from Afghanistan's Taliban government, although the two movements have historical and ideological links.
Recent militant violence inside Pakistan has added to the tensions. An attack on a police facility in northwestern Pakistan last week killed at least 24 people, according to Reuters' latest account. Internazionale
Fighting spreads to border
The situation became more serious after the September 24 air raids.
On Friday, Pakistani security sources told Reuters that Pakistani forces had stopped what they described as an attempted Afghan attack around Gulistan, along the border, killing several Afghan Taliban members.
The sources said intermittent firing was continuing between Pakistani forces and Afghan Taliban fighters. Afghanistan had not immediately provided its version of the incident when Reuters reported the development.
Pakistan's state-run Associated Press of Pakistan similarly reported that Afghan Taliban fighters attempted to enter Pakistani territory in the Gulistan sector and that several were killed in the Pakistani response. Because the report relies on Pakistani security sources, the circumstances and casualty figures require independent confirmation. Associated Press of Pakistan
The latest fighting therefore appears to represent an escalation beyond the September 24 air strikes, but claims about who initiated the border confrontation remain contested.
Regional mediation faces another test
The renewed confrontation threatens attempts by regional governments to reduce hostilities between Kabul and Islamabad.
China, Türkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been involved in efforts aimed at promoting a more durable settlement between the two sides, according to reports on the escalating dispute. Al Jazeera
The latest strikes demonstrate how quickly the relationship can deteriorate when militant attacks, disputed cross-border operations and competing accusations become intertwined.
For now, two elements are clear: Pakistan acknowledges conducting strikes against 10 locations inside Afghanistan, and Afghanistan says four civilians were killed.
https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/9/24/four-civilians-killed-in-pakistani-airstrikes-in-afghanistan?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Beyond those established points, major questions remain disputed — particularly responsibility for the alleged drone attacks that Pakistan says triggered its operation.
With exchanges of fire subsequently reported along the frontier, attention is now turning to whether Kabul and Islamabad pursue diplomatic channels or whether the confrontation develops into another sustained round of cross-border fighting.Continue with Tokenpress
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