In a statement released on June 28, Afghanistan's Defense Ministry said it conducted airstrikes on the night of June 27 targeting suspected hideouts of militant groups and what it called 'hostile intelligence circles' in Pakistan's Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, which share a border with Afghanistan.
The ministry said these bases were 'accused of collaborating with certain hostile intelligence circles to plan and organize attacks against Afghanistan,' an apparent reference to Pakistani intelligence. However, Kabul did not specify the means used in the attack, which is seen as the first major offensive action Kabul has claimed responsibility for in months.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Pakistan has repeatedly accused Kabul of harboring militant groups that conduct cross-border attacks. Islamabad has often carried out airstrikes against these forces, while Kabul denies the allegations.
Bilateral relations became severely strained after Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack into Pakistan in late February 2026 in response to earlier airstrikes. A fragile ceasefire reached in March collapsed after both sides accused each other of violations. Mediation efforts brokered by China have so far yielded no results.
Pakistan's Information Ministry rejected Kabul's account in a statement, according to an unverified Reuters report.
According to data from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Afghanistan currently has no fighter jets but possesses at least six aircraft and 23 helicopters. The Taliban forces are also believed to have drones, previously used in clashes with Pakistan.
Afghanistan's Defense Ministry stated: 'Afghanistan will no longer tolerate any threats to its security and stability. It will use all available measures and capabilities to neutralize and eliminate any threat at its source.'
The United Nations reported in May 2026 that cross-border fighting in the first three months of 2026 had killed at least 372 Afghan civilians and wounded 397 others. In a separate development, Pakistan last week also carried out airstrikes on Afghan provinces, killing at least 13 people, including 11 children, according to the Taliban. Islamabad said the 'calculated' airstrikes killed 26 militants in response to a series of recent attacks in its northwestern region.
