Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid on Tuesday alleged that Pakistan conducted overnight aerial strikes inside Afghanistan, escalating tensions between the two neighbours. In a statement posted on social media platform X, Mujahid claimed that Pakistani forces “bombed” parts of Khost and carried out additional air operations in the Kunar and Paktika provinces.
He added that Afghan authorities were assessing the extent of the damage. Pakistan, however, has not yet issued any official response to the accusations.
The reports of cross-border strikes coincided with a deadly suicide bombing at the Federal Constabulary headquarters in Pakistan, where three personnel were martyred and at least 12 others injured. Although no group immediately claimed responsibility, the attack added pressure to an already fraught security environment.
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated sharply in recent months, largely due to Pakistan’s repeated demands that the Afghan Taliban take decisive action against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamabad maintains that TTP militants are operating from Afghan soil, a charge the Taliban government continues to deny, insisting that no group is allowed to use its territory for attacks.
Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions have also faltered. Following a series of border clashes in October, Pakistan and Afghanistan engaged in multiple rounds of talks aimed at establishing mechanisms for long-term stability. The second round, held in Ankara on October 25, ended without progress, with Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announcing that no workable solution had emerged.
Mediators Turkiye and Qatar later stepped in to rescue the dialogue process, issuing a joint statement on October 31 that further discussions would be held at a principal-level meeting in Istanbul in November. However, those talks also failed to bridge differences. After the third round of negotiations on November 7, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared that discussions on tackling cross-border terrorism were “over” and had entered an “indefinite phase”.
In the aftermath of the stalled talks, the Afghan Taliban suspended trade with Pakistan—an action that followed Islamabad’s earlier closure of border crossings after the October clashes. Turkiye subsequently announced that senior officials would visit Pakistan to mediate tensions, a move welcomed by Islamabad and Doha. But the Turkish delegation has yet to arrive, with diplomatic sources citing procedural complications.
Last week, Pakistan’s Foreign Office reiterated that the resumption of trade with Afghanistan hinges on Kabul taking concrete steps to curb cross-border terrorism. It also warned that major regional energy projects—seen as vital for economic cooperation—depend on the Taliban regime ending support for militant groups.
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