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KABUL – Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Thursday accused Pakistan of carrying out two drone strikes on Kabul a day earlier, just hours before both sides agreed to a ceasefire following a week of deadly border clashes that killed dozens and left hundreds wounded.
Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said the drones struck a civilian home and a market in the Afghan capital on Wednesday afternoon. Hospital officials confirmed at least five people were killed and dozens more injured, many suffering from shrapnel wounds and burns. The NGO Emergency said it treated victims with severe trauma and blast injuries.
Islamabad has not officially responded to the accusations, but Pakistani officials — speaking anonymously — earlier told The Associated Press that security forces had targeted militant hideouts across the border as part of ongoing counterterrorism operations.
The Taliban’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, initially described the Kabul explosions as an oil tanker blast before later blaming Pakistan. The incident came amid escalating cross-border violence since October 10, with each side accusing the other of provocation and harboring militants.
The United Nations welcomed the truce announced Wednesday, urging both countries to make it lasting. According to the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 37 civilians were killed and more than 425 wounded this week in Afghan provinces bordering Pakistan, including Paktya, Paktika, Khost, Kunar, Kandahar, and Helmand.
No overnight clashes were reported after the ceasefire, but major crossings along the 2,611-kilometer Durand Line — which Afghanistan has never recognized — remained closed on Thursday. Pakistani officials said security forces continued operations against militants attempting to cross from Afghan territory into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while the Taliban government rejects the claim and insists Pakistan’s cross-border raids violate Afghan sovereignty.
The latest flare-up marks the most serious confrontation between the two neighbors since 2021, raising fears that regional militant networks — including Islamic State and al-Qaida — could exploit the instability.
