Afghanistan Claims Strikes on Key Pakistani Military Sites, Says 32 Soldiers Killed
KABUL — Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence said Monday that its Air Force carried out coordinated aerial strikes against multiple Pakistani military installations, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two neighbors.
In a statement posted on X, the ministry said the operations targeted major facilities including Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, the 12th Division headquarters in Quetta, Balochistan, and Khwazai Camp in the Mohmand area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It claimed that additional strategic command centers across Pakistan were also struck.
“Based on preliminary assessments, the strikes successfully caused significant damage to the intended targets. These operations were carried out in response to the recent aerial incursions by the Pakistani military, which struck Kabul, Bagram,” the statement said.
The ministry warned that any further violation of Afghan airspace or “acts of aggression” by Pakistan would draw “a swift, decisive, and proportionate response.”
The developments come less than a week after Islamabad declared what it described as “open war” against the Afghan Taliban administration following renewed cross-border clashes. Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Kabul and Kandahar on Friday, hours after Afghan forces reportedly attacked Pakistani border troops in retaliation for earlier strikes.
The Nur Khan Airbase, a key Pakistan Air Force facility near Rawalpindi, was previously targeted during India’s Operation Sindoor in May 2025. That strike reportedly damaged select infrastructure, prompting subsequent repair and restoration work at the base.
In a further escalation, Taliban authorities claimed that 32 Pakistani soldiers were killed in overnight retaliatory operations. Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported that the operations were carried out by the 203 Mansouri, 201 Silab and 205 Al-Badr Corps.
According to the Afghan Defence Ministry, the attacks also injured 10 Pakistani soldiers and destroyed four military outposts. Officials further claimed that Afghan forces shot down two Pakistani military drones.
Sediqullah Nasrat, deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, said Afghan forces launched offensive operations overnight using “laser weapons and advanced equipment” in the provinces of Nangarhar, Paktia, Khost and Kandahar, led by the 203 Mansouri, 201 Khalid bin Walid and 205 Al-Badr Corps.
Pakistan has not yet publicly responded to the latest claims. The situation remains fluid as both sides trade accusations and military actions along the volatile border. (Source: IANS)
