Dozens of Taliban fighters reportedly killed after Pakistan launches another airstrike on Afghanistan

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated sharply after Pakistan carried out another airstrike on Afghan territory on Saturday, reportedly killing dozens of Taliban fighters. According to Pakistani officials, the strike targeted terrorist hideouts in retaliation for a recent Taliban assault on a military installation in North Waziristan.

The renewed hostilities have cast a shadow over the upcoming peace talks and ceasefire discussions scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar. As reported by Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn, Saturday’s airstrikes followed closely on the heels of a deadly Taliban attack on a military facility in Mir Ali, claimed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistani security forces say they neutralised all four attackers during the incident.

Citing intelligence sources, Dawn reports that Pakistan launched "precision strikes" on the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group’s hideouts inside Afghanistan, claiming the elimination of multiple militants. However, no official statement has yet been released by the Pakistani military regarding the latest operation.

This marks the second consecutive day of cross-border strikes by Pakistan.



On Friday night, Pakistani forces reportedly targeted suspected militant positions in the Angoor Adda region as well as in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, including Urgun and Barmal districts. Pakistani authorities stated that the operations focused solely on terrorist infrastructure, and not on Afghan government positions.

The timing of the attacks is significant, as both nations had earlier agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire, which was then extended by mutual consent in anticipation of the Doha talks. Qatar is set to host the negotiations, with its government acting as a mediator. According to sources, the Afghan delegation will include key figures such as Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid and Intelligence Chief Mullah Wasiq.

Despite the ceasefire extension, Friday night’s airstrikes have put the fragile truce and the proposed dialogue in jeopardy. Security analysts fear the renewed violence could derail diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing cross-border tensions and combating terrorism cooperatively.

The situation remains volatile, with observers closely watching whether the scheduled Doha talks will proceed as planned or collapse under the weight of growing mistrust.