KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban authorities have reported fresh Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul and renewed ground clashes along the Torkham border crossing.
The Taliban Ministry of Defense announced that Pakistan carried out new airstrikes in the Afghan capital. Enayatullah Khwarazmi, spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on X on Sunday evening (1 March) that “air defense operations were conducted against Pakistani aircraft in Kabul,” assuring residents of the capital not to be concerned.
Earlier, several Kabul residents had reported hearing explosions in the city. No further details about the nature or extent of the airstrikes have been released so far.
Following retaliatory attacks by the Taliban against Pakistan on Thursday night last week, this marks the third time that Pakistan has allegedly targeted Kabul with airstrikes. The Taliban also reported last night that Pakistani aircraft had entered Kabul’s airspace and that their forces had opened fire on them.
Meanwhile, Taliban military officials in eastern Afghanistan confirmed renewed clashes with Pakistani forces at the Torkham border crossing.
Wahidullah Mohammadi, spokesperson for the Taliban’s 201 Khalid bin Walid Corps in the east, stated that Taliban forces launched offensive attacks on Pakistani troops in the border area of “Pata Mena” in Torkham, and that fighting is ongoing.
He added that earlier in the afternoon, Taliban forces also attacked a Pakistani military camp in the “Ghulami” area of Mohmand Agency, claiming that several Pakistani soldiers were killed and wounded.
Local sources, however, reported that Pakistan also carried out an airstrike this afternoon targeting the Taliban’s 201 Khalid bin Walid Corps in the Gambari area of Laghman province.
The clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan began on Thursday night following Taliban retaliatory attacks on Pakistani border posts. Since then, Pakistan has reportedly targeted multiple locations in different provinces, including Kabul, the capital.
Regional states, including Iran, China, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, and others such as the United Kingdom and the United Nations, have urged both sides to halt hostilities and resolve disputes through dialogue. Some of these countries have offered to mediate in an effort to ease tensions between the two neighbors.
