Pakistan has carried out airstrikes targeting militant positions across three provinces in eastern Afghanistan. The strikes hit Shultan district in Kunar province, Barmal district in Paktika province, and Spera district in Khost province, according to local sources.
Initial reports indicate the strikes targeted hideouts associated with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur. Loud explosions were also reported in Barmal district of Paktika. Further details are still awaited.
The strikes come at a particularly charged moment. Russia raised the Afghanistan-Pakistan tension at the UN Security Council just days ago, calling for a return to diplomatic engagement and citing TTP activity as the core driver of the crisis.
Hafiz Gul Bahadur’s network has been linked to several high-profile attacks on Pakistani security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal belt. His continued presence in Afghan territory has been a persistent point of contention between Islamabad and Kabul.
The Afghan Taliban government has not yet issued a statement in response to the strikes.
