Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence on Friday claimed it carried out retaliatory drone strikes targeting Pakistani military installations in the Kohat area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, escalating tensions between the two neighbours amid ongoing clashes along the disputed Durand Line.
Kabul Claims Strike On Kohat Military Fort
According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence, drone strikes targeted strategic facilities of the Pakistan Army in Kohat, including the Kohat Military Fort, a key command centre located near the Durand Line.
In a statement shared on social media, the ministry said military installations at the fort, including the command centre, depots and soldiers’ residential quarters, were destroyed, resulting in “significant human and material losses."
Pakistan has not yet officially confirmed the extent of the damage.
Retaliation For Artillery Fire In Khost Province
Kabul said the strikes were carried out in retaliation for Pakistani artillery shelling in the Alisher–Terezai district of Khost province, near the disputed Durand Line.
According to local reports cited by TOLO News, the shelling killed four members of a family and injured three others, further inflaming tensions in the border region.
Taliban Accuse Pakistan Of Striking Fuel Depot Near Kandahar
Afghanistan also accused Pakistan of targeting civilian infrastructure. The Pakistan Air Force allegedly struck fuel depots belonging to the private airline Kam Air near Kandahar Airport.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the facility supplies fuel to domestic airlines and also services aircraft operated by the United Nations.
He also alleged that Pakistan had previously targeted fuel storage belonging to a trader named Haji Khan Zadah.
Rising Cross-Border Tensions Along Durand Line
The latest escalation follows a series of cross-border airstrikes and artillery exchanges between the two countries in recent months.
In February, Pakistan reportedly launched airstrikes in Afghanistan, including in the capital Kabul, as clashes intensified along the shared border.
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have remained strained since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, with the long-disputed Durand Line continuing to fuel friction.
Pakistan Blames Taliban For Harbouring TTP
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban government of failing to curb militant groups operating from Afghan territory, particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The TTP, formed in 2007, is separate from the Afghan Taliban but shares ideological and operational links. Islamabad says the group has been responsible for a surge in attacks inside Pakistan.
Violence has also intensified in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has carried out several attacks in recent years.
