Pakistan’s armed forces carried out overnight airstrikes against Taliban targets and terrorist infrastructure on Friday, destroying training camps, ammunition depots, and other support facilities across Afghanistan, reports quoted security sources as saying.

“Pakistan’s Armed Forces have carried out successful airstrikes inside Afghanistan as part of the ongoing Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” the sources confirmed. 

Strikes reportedly hit the headquarters of the Afghan Taliban 313 Corps, the Tarawo terrorist training camp in Kandahar, an oil storage facility, and the Sher-e-Nau terrorist camp in Paktia province.

Operations along the Pak-Afghan border in North and South Waziristan also destroyed multiple Taliban posts and forced militants to abandon positions, reports quoted sources.

The operation was launched following unprovoked firing from across the border, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of providing space to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). UN monitoring reports over the past two years have noted TTP activity in eastern Afghanistan, though the Taliban deny offering support.

In a separate development, Pakistan security forces shot down three rudimentary drones on Friday, allegedly deployed by militants linked to Afghan Fitna-al-Khawarij, in the Kohat district. 


Authorities said the crude drones posed a potential security threat, and debris from the downed devices injured two civilians, who were shifted to a hospital for treatment. Reports quoted security sources as saying that the militants were backed by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan administration.

Amid the ongoing military operations, Pakistan is engaging diplomatically with Beijing over the border tensions. Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar recently held a call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He said Islamabad and Beijing “cherish a long-standing strategic partnership, founded in mutual trust and deep respect,” and that both countries share common views on Afghanistan.

China’s ambassador to Kabul, Zhao Xing, and the special envoy Dr Yue Xiaoyong has been shuttling between Pakistan and Afghanistan to mediate and encourage both sides to return to the negotiating table. 

According to China’s foreign ministry, the most urgent task is to prevent the fighting from expanding. Beijing’s ambassador to Kabul, Zhao Xing, met Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi this week, during which Afghan officials reiterated their commitment to improving security and protecting Chinese nationals in Afghanistan.

Andrabi clarified that a visiting delegation reportedly holding talks with the Afghan Taliban was not part of any official effort, though he confirmed Dr Yue’s visit to Pakistan to discuss shared concerns, particularly terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. He also said he had no information regarding any Turkish delegation reportedly mediating between Islamabad and Kabul.