Afghanistan air force strikes Pakistani military bases near Islamabad, KPK’s Nowshera: Taliban

Taliban authorities on Friday claimed they carried out coordinated air strikes targeting Pakistani military facilities, including a site near Islamabad, amid escalating tensions between the two neighbours.

In a statement, the Taliban Defence Ministry said the air force of the Ministry of National Defense conducted strikes at around 11:00 am local time on locations near Faizabad, a military camp in Nowshera, an army base in Jamrud and a military complex in Abbottabad. The ministry described the operation as successful and said key Pakistani military facilities were hit.

The claims could not be independently verified, and Pakistani authorities did not immediately respond.

Taliban officials said the strikes were carried out in retaliation for Pakistani air attacks overnight on Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia. Earlier, the Taliban said they had targeted Pakistani border outposts, claiming 55 Pakistani personnel were killed. Pakistan, in turn, said 133 Taliban members were killed in its overnight strikes, while Taliban authorities said there were no casualties.

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The escalation follows Pakistani air strikes in parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.

Earlier on Friday, Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s defence minister, said the country was in an “open war” with Afghanistan. In a post on X, he said Islamabad’s “patience has reached its limit” and alleged that Afghanistan had become “a colony of India”. He added that Pakistan had attempted to stabilise the situation through direct engagement and through friendly countries but accused Afghanistan of pursuing aggression. He also criticised the Taliban over human rights, particularly the treatment of women.

Meanwhile, Iran said it is ready to help mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan, offering assistance to facilitate dialogue and promote understanding and cooperation between the two sides.

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