Pakistan targets Afghan militant in fresh strikes

• Pakistan targeted Afghan militant hideouts in Kandahar via airstrikes, escalating cross-border conflict.
• Islamabad calls the conflict an "open war," with Afghanistan claiming retaliatory attacks on a Pakistani camp.
• Recent shelling in Bajaur, Pakistan, killed four, amid accusations from both sides of civilian targeting.

Pakistan announced on Sunday that it targeted militant hideouts in Afghanistan's Kandahar region during overnight airstrikes, as cross-border fighting

continues to escalate between the two nations. This latest round of violence, described by Islamabad as an 'open war,' marks the deadliest conflict to date between Pakistan and Afghanistan, raising alarms about regional stability amid broader geopolitical tensions.

Details of the Airstrikes

Pakistan's Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, stated via a post on X that the military targeted equipment storage facilities and technical support infrastructure in Kandahar.

In response, Afghan government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid reported that Pakistan struck two locations, including a site used by security personnel that was unoccupied at night and a drug rehabilitation center that sustained minor damage. He asserted there were no casualties, condemning the strikes as evidence of Pakistan's ongoing aggression.

Retaliatory Attacks and Claims

Afghanistan's Defense Ministry announced it retaliated by attacking a Pakistani army camp in South Waziristan, claiming significant destruction to the camp's command center and inflicting heavy casualties on Pakistani forces.

Pakistan's Ministry of Information dismissed these claims as 'propaganda,' asserting that a drone was downed without damage to any military installations.

Accusations of Harboring Militants

Pakistan accuses the Taliban-led Afghan government of sheltering militant groups, particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, which conduct attacks within Pakistan. Afghanistan, however, refutes these allegations, maintaining it does not permit its territory to be used for such purposes.

The current hostilities began in late February, following a cross-border assault from Afghanistan in retaliation for prior Pakistani airstrikes that reportedly resulted in civilian casualties, disrupting a ceasefire established in October.

Civilian Impact and Recent Incidents

On Sunday, a mortar fired from Afghanistan struck a home in Bajaur, Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of at least four family members and injuring two others, according to local government official Adnan Khan.

Both countries have exchanged accusations of targeting civilians, leading to numerous fatalities on both sides.

Political Reactions

In a statement on Saturday, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari criticized the Afghan government for allegedly crossing a 'red line' by conducting drone attacks on civilian areas in Pakistan, which coincided with Pakistan's airstrikes on an Afghan drone storage facility.