Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated sharply this week following reported Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul targeting the leadership of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The strikes, which shook several neighborhoods in the Afghan capital, came amid growing frustration in Islamabad over cross-border militant attacks that have claimed dozens of Pakistani lives in recent weeks.
According to eyewitness accounts, powerful blasts echoed through District 8 in eastern Kabul, an area housing key government facilities and residential zones. The timing of the strikes coincided with a fiery speech by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who declared that terrorism originating from Afghan soil was no longer tolerable. While Pakistan has not officially confirmed the strikes, the sequence of events has led many observers to believe they were deliberate military actions aimed at dismantling TTP sanctuaries.
The decision to launch airstrikes reportedly followed a high-level security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, attended by Army Chief General Asim Munir and other senior officials. Islamabad has also sought assistance from the United States in providing satellite coordinates of known TTP hideouts under the existing counter-terrorism cooperation framework. This marks a significant shift in Pakistan’s approach, signaling a move from diplomatic restraint to direct military engagement.
In a related development, mobile internet services were abruptly suspended in Pakistan’s twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Authorities have yet to provide an official explanation, but the blackout is widely believed to be a precautionary measure in response to the unfolding security situation. The airstrikes and communication shutdown underscore the volatility of the region and the growing urgency within Pakistan’s security establishment to curb militant threats emanating from across the border.
