These skirmishes mark the second round of air strikes by Pakistan on the sovereign soil of Afghanistan in a period less than two years. The first similar Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan soil came in 2022.[11]
While Pakistan has been accused of supporting the Afghan Taliban in the past, after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Afghanistan and Pakistan have repeatedly broken out border conflicts.[12] The Pakistani government accuses the Afghan Taliban authorities of harboring the Pakistani Taliban rebels in its growing insurgency.[13]
North Waziristan attack
On 16 March 2024, militants detonated a truck bomb and fired at Pakistani soldiers at a border checkpost. Five Pakistani soldiers were killed in the truck bombing, and two more were killed in the firing. Six attackers were also killed, according to Pakistan Army, who stated that the attackers used Afghanistan as a base for the attack. A militant group known as Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad took responsibility for the attack; Pakistani officials believe the members to be part of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP).[14][15] Afghanistan led by the Taliban denied that the perpetrators were from their territory.[16] On 17 March 2024, President of PakistanAsif Ali Zardari vowed strong retaliation against perpetrators of the attack.[17]
Khost and Paktika airstrikes
March airstrikes
On 18 March 2024, in response to the attack from Afghanistan, Pakistan Air Force carried out two intelligence based airstrikes on Afghanistan's eastern border provinces of Khost and Paktika. The Afghan government claim that Pakistan killed five women and three children.[18] Pakistan denies this, claiming that it killed terrorists instead while targeting the Hafiz Gul Bahadur militant group, a splinter organization of the Pakistani Taliban, and that it had successfully killed Sehra alias Janan, a high-value target commander. Another commander, Abdullah Mehsud, was claimed to have been killed, but later released a video refuting the claim. It was also reported that Mehsud's house was targeted in which his wife and a minor son was killed. Pakistan went on to blame the Pakistani Taliban and its splinter militias for the deaths of hundreds of Pakistani civilians, and claimed that they used Afghanistan as a base and that they had support from within the Taliban.[19][20]
December airstrikes
On 21 December, At least 16 soldiers are killed in an attack by the Pakistani Taliban on an outpost in South Waziristan.[21] On 25 December 2024, the Pakistan Air Force launched precision airstrikes in response to the 21 December attack, on seven locations located across four villages of Barmal District of AfghanistanPaktika province initially claiming to have killing 20-25 terrorists. The villages targeted by PAF included Laman, Margha, and Murg Bazaar. Reports indicate that the Murg Bazaar village in Barmal was completely destroyed.[22] The airstrikes took four High Value Targets(HVTs) that included terrorists camps and hideouts of key commanders, these included the compound of senior ranking Commander of TTP, Sher Zaman alias Mukhlis Yar's hideout, the Commander Abu Hamza's recruitment camp and Akhtar Muhammad alias Khalil suicide bombers" training camp. All of these commanders were using camps for recruitment and training young child suicide bombers and terrorists. The fourth target struck by PAF was the "Umar Media" centre of TTP, being headed by the TTP's commander Shoaib Iqbal alias Muneeb Jatt, from where the TTP propagated its digital propaganda.[23] Afghan Taliban's Defence Ministry, the Afghan Taliban regime official spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed reports of the strike carried out by Pakistani forces, but claimed that the dead and injured included a number of children and other civilians. The PAF's strikes mark third instance of Pakistan launching attack on Afghan soil since the fall of Kabul. The Pakistan airstrikes coincided the birthday of Pakistan's founder.[24][25][26][27][28] The Afghan Government reported that 46 people had been killed[29] and 6 wounded, with the casualties including children.[30][31]
Land border clashes
In response to the airstrikes, the Afghan Defense Ministry stated it was targeting numerous Pakistani positions across the border.[16] Mortar firing from the Afghan side injured more than four civilians and three military personnel in Kurram District.[32] A Pakistani captain was also killed and 2 other soldiers injured by the shelling.[33] Taliban officials did not disclose their losses, however, the local Afghans reported the death of a soldier of the Afghan army in the clashes. Skirmishes were also reported in the hilly areas surrounding the Angoor Adda border crossing of South Waziristan but no casualties were reported .[34] It was also reported that in the areas around Wanna, the artillery munitions struck close to the bunkers on both sides of the border but no casualties were reported.[34]
Subsequent attacks
Gwadar attack
On March 20, separatist militants belonging to Balochistan Liberation Army attacked the Gwadar port complex. The attack failed due to the rapid response of the Pakistani security forces. The clash killed eight BLA militants and two Pakistani soldiers. The Chief Minister of Balochistan claimed that the BLA attackers came from Afghanistan and were provided shelter by the Afghan government.[35]
Dera Ismail Khan attack
On 22 March, a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a military convoy passing through Dera Ismail Khan; this attack resulted in the death of two Pakistani soldiers and wounding of 15 others.[36] In response to this attack Pakistan vowed a strong retaliation against terrorism.[37]
Turbat Naval base attack
On 25 March, Balochistan Liberation Army's Majeed Brigade attacked Pakistan's second largest Naval Base PNS Siddique in Turbat which houses American as well as Chinese aircraft.[7] This attack was foiled by Pakistani Security forces.[38] In this attack, 6 BLA militants were killed by the Frontier Corps outside the perimeter of the base while one Pakistani soldier was killed.[39]
