The Information Ministry of Pakistan firmly dismissed the Afghan Taliban’s recent claims that their so-called ‘air force’ conducted airstrikes on Islamic State (IS) hideouts within Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. The ministry labeled these statements as unfounded and misleading.
In a social media post on platform X, the ministry clarified that the Afghan Taliban’s allegations of operations targeting IS locations inside Pakistan were inaccurate. This response followed the Afghan Taliban’s Defence Ministry announcement on Friday, which stated that their air force had struck militant hideouts in the aforementioned Pakistani regions on Thursday night.
Notably, the Afghan Defence Ministry did not specify the method of attack, despite Afghanistan lacking fighter jets. the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Afghanistan possesses at least six aircraft and 23 helicopters, but no fixed-wing combat jets.
Pakistan has consistently accused the Afghan Taliban authorities of harboring and supporting Islamic State and other militant groups operating from Taliban-controlled areas in Afghanistan. The Pakistani ministry asserted that the Taliban government issues such misleading claims to divert attention from its alleged sponsorship of terrorist networks.
Pakistan, terrorist camps—including those of Daesh and over two dozen other groups—are established, managed, and protected within territories controlled by the Afghan Taliban. The ministry emphasized that these statements are routine attempts by Afghan authorities to mask their patronage of terrorism targeting Pakistan and the broader region.
Earlier, the Afghan Defence Ministry described the targeted bases as locations previously used in coordination with hostile intelligence entities to plan attacks against Afghanistan. They claimed the operation successfully struck key pre-designated targets but did not provide details regarding casualties.
This dispute highlights the deteriorating relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, once allies but now adversaries, with hundreds of casualties reported this year. Attempts to ease tensions through Chinese mediation have yet to produce results.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, while the Afghan Taliban reject these allegations, asserting that militancy is an internal Pakistani issue. Recently, Pakistan conducted airstrikes on Afghan provinces, describing them as ‘calibrated strikes’ that killed 26 militants in retaliation for attacks in Pakistan’s northwest.
In response, the Afghan Taliban Defence Ministry declared that Afghanistan will no longer tolerate threats to its security and will employ all available means to neutralize any dangers at their source.
