In the early hours of 9 October 2025, Pakistan reportedly carried out airstrikes in Kabul, Khost, Jalalabad,[20][21] and Paktika,[22] targeting Pakistani Taliban. The group's leader, Noor Wali Mehsud, an internationally designated terrorist[23][24][25] was the main target of the attack in Kabul, which happened in Abdul Haq Square.[26][27] However, the TTP released an unverified audio recording, purportedly of Mehsud, in which he says that he is alive.[28][29]
On the night from 11 to 12 October, the Afghan Taliban launched an attack on multiple Pakistani military posts along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, reportedly in retaliation for suspected Pakistani airstrikes. Following the attack, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense announced the conclusion of their operation.[30] However, Pakistani officials rejected the Taliban’s ceasefire declaration and continued their offensive, which was confirmed by a Taliban spokesman, noting that clashes persisted into the morning of 12 October.[31][32] On the same day, reports emerged of a Pakistani drone strike in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, killing 19 Taliban fighters, though these casualties were not confirmed by Taliban officials.[5] Both sides claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on each other and captured or destroyed several border posts. Satellite imagery of a Taliban military compound in Spin Boldak showed that it had suffered significant damage during the clashes.[33]
Heavy fighting resumed on 15 October, with both sides accusing the other of initiating the violence. The fiercest fighting occurred around Spin Boldak, where civilian casualties were reported.[34] Pakistan later announced “precision” airstrikes inside Afghanistan, which Afghan locals and media said hit Kabul and military sites in Kandahar, while the Taliban attributed the Kabul explosion to an oil-tanker blast.[35] Following a mutually agreed 48-hour ceasefire—whose deadline was publicly set only by Pakistan—Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Paktika Province after the truce expired.[36] The Taliban accused Pakistan of targeting civilians in Paktika, while Pakistan said the strikes targeted militants belonging to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group.[36] On 19 October, Qatar announced that Afghanistan and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire after extensive Doha talks mediated by Qatar and Turkey.[37] Under the understanding, Kabul agreed to halt support for groups attacking Pakistan—most notably the Pakistani Taliban—while both sides pledged to refrain from targeting each other’s security forces, civilians, or critical infrastructure.[38] The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) disclosed that 37 civilians had lost their lives and 425 others had been injured due to cross-border violence in Afghanistan.[19] Amid the fighting, the Taliban also shut down Kabul’s private broadcaster Shamshad TV, accusing it of failing to “adequately” cover the border clashes and of not defending the "Taliban’s position".[39]
Pakistan has accused the Afghan government in recent years of allowing the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an offshoot of the Afghan Taliban, to use Afghan soil as a safe haven to plan and launch attacks across the border into Pakistan.[40][41]
The issue has repeatedly strained diplomatic relations, with Kabul summoning Pakistani ambassadors on several occasions to protest alleged violations of Afghan sovereignty.[42][40]
Cross-border operations and airstrikes inside Afghan provinces such as Paktika, Khost, Nangarhar and Kunar have taken place in both 2024 and 2025 as Pakistan has repeatedly claimed that it has targeted anti-Pakistani militant hideouts.[41][43][44]
Timeline
Airstrikes in Afghanistan
On 9 October 2025, at around 9:50 p.m. AFT,[45] two loud explosions were heard in Kabul, particularly in the eastern sectors near Abdul Haq Square, District 8.[46][47] Explosions and gunfire were heard in parts of Kabul, leading residents to believe that an airstrike had taken place.[48] Witnesses described hearing the sound of aircraft overhead shortly after the blasts. Subsequent reports suggested that the leader of the Tehreekk-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Noor Wali Mehsud, may have been the target of the strike, with some sources claiming he was killed in the attack near Abdul Haq Square.[29][49] However, the TTP released an unverified audio recording, purportedly of Mehsud, in which he claims to have survived the attack.[29] In Kabul, the explosions were heard by residents in different parts of the city, prompting an investigation by Afghan officials, who have not yet confirmed the identity of the target or assessed the full extent of the damage and casualties.[50]
Airstrikes were also reported to have taken place in Khost, Jalalabad,[20][21] and Paktika.[22] However, the Afghan government only confirmed airstrikes in Kabul and Paktika.[22]
A TTP official has confirmed that the airstrike in Kabul killed at least two senior members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).[7] Some sources believe that TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud may have also been killed.[53][22][54] However, the TTP official have released an unverified voice recording purportedly from Mehsud, in which he claims to be alive.[55] Mehsud later made a video showing that he was alive and escaped the strikes on him by the Pakistan Air Force.[56][45]
Afghan journalists noted that the Afghan Taliban restricted access to the areas that had been struck by Pakistan. However, based on initial information provided by the Afghan journalists, the strike was effective, with several key TTP commanders believed to have been targeted.[20][21]
11 October
On the night of 11 October, the Afghan Taliban—through the Islamic National Army led by Qari Fasihuddin—launched an attack on multiple military posts belonging to Pakistan along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Afghan Taliban officials stated that the attack was a response to suspected Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan.[57][58][59][60] Hours after the attack, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense declared that the group’s operation against Pakistan had concluded but warned that any future violations of Afghanistan’s airspace would provoke a decisive response.[30] Pakistani officials, however, stated that they had rejected the unilateral ceasefire declaration by the Afghan Taliban and continued attacking Taliban positions on Afghanistan’s side of the border.[31][61][62] This was confirmed by a Taliban spokesman, who noted that attacks on Afghan military posts continued well into the morning of October 12th.[32]
12 October
On 12 October, local sources in Afghanistan reported that a drone strike by Pakistan in Afghanistan's southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand killed 19 Taliban fighters, including Commander Haji Nusrat. The casualties from the drone strike were not confirmed by Afghan Taliban officials.[5]
The same day, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, in a post on X (Twitter) stated that 9 Afghan Taliban fighters had been killed and 16 to 18 had been injured in the attack on Pakistan's military posts.[63] He further claimed that the Afghan Taliban killed 58 Pakistani soldiers, injured 30, and captured 25 Pakistani military posts.[64][65] However, these statements have not been confirmed by the Pakistani military or independent media. Pakistani state media claimed that its armed forces had captured 21 Afghan border posts, with the Taliban fighters at the posts being either killed or escaping and some allegedly surrendering in Kurram.[64][66] Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed a "strong retaliation" to Afghan clashes with Pakistani forces, as his interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, referenced the India–Pakistan conflict in May 2025 when he stated that Afghanistan will receive a "befitting reply like India."[67][68]
Asim Munir, Pakistan's Chief of the Army Staff, visited the Afghan border and inspected frontline positions.[69] Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi announced during a press conference in New Delhi that Afghan forces paused their operations "for the time being."[70] Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed his concerns at the clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces along the border.[70]
On the same day, Pakistan released aerial footage of its strikes on Taliban targets on the Afghanistan side of the border.[73]
14 October
On the night from 14 to 15 October, fighting occurred near Kurram. According to Pakistani official sources, Afghan Taliban and TTP forces "opened unprovoked fire" and Pakistani forces responded.[74]
15 October
In the early hours of October 15, violent clashes erupted again between Afghan and Pakistani forces along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, with both sides accusing each other of being the aggressor.[34] According to the spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban, the clashes in Spin Boldak District led to at least 12 Afghan civilian deaths, with more than 100 others reported injured.[75] However, local sources from Kandahar reported higher civilian casualties, with at least 29 killed and 122 wounded.[34] At least 80 women and children were among the wounded according to a district hospital official.[76] Taliban spokesperson also said that Taliban fighters had captured and destroyed several border posts in Spin Boldak, inflicting casualties on Pakistani security personnel, though no specific death toll was provided.[77] Taliban spokesperson did not mention any casualties among Afghan security forces. Pakistani officials rejected the Taliban’s claims, dismissing them as propaganda,[78][79] and stated that they had killed 15 to 20 Taliban fighters and injured several others.[80][81][79] Pakistani officials also reported that 6 Pakistani security personnel were killed and 4 civilians were injured during the clashes.[18][79] In Kurram, Pakistani officials stated that they had destroyed eight positions — including six tanks — belonging to the Afghan Taliban, and had killed 25 to 30 fighters from both the Afghan Taliban and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in a counterattack by Pakistani forces.[78][79]
On the same day, Pakistani officials announced that they had carried out new precision airstrikes inside Afghanistan targeting military installations. According to the officials, the strikes hit key hideouts of the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban, killing dozens of foreign and Afghan operatives. The airstrike in Kabul specifically targeted the headquarters and leadership of anti-Pakistan militants, according to Pakistani officials.[82] According to some Afghan sources, Pakistan’s airstrikes in Kandahar struck the Fourth and Eighth Taliban Brigades as well as the Fifth Border Corps, reportedly killing between 15 and 20 Taliban fighters.[6] Pakistan also released videos of its air attacks on Taliban's military equipment and checkpoints in Spin Boldak. Afghan Taliban-run national TV, RTA, confirmed drone attacks in Spin Boldak.[83] One journalist from the Taliban-run national TV, RTA, was killed and another was injured in the crossfire in Spin Boldak.[84] In Kandahar, Afghan locals reported airstrikes on an Afghan Taliban military base in Spin Boldak and two additional strikes on targets in the Aino Mina settlement. The Taliban sealed off access to Aino Mina, preventing anyone from entering the area. Taliban-run national television reported that a number of civilians were killed in the Pakistani airstrikes in Kandahar.[85]
In Kabul, resident report hearing four large explosions, with blasts continuing intermittently every few minutes. Several residents reported hearing the sound of fighter jets flying overhead just moments before the explosions.[86] Residents state that the Lulu Tower — near the intersection of Taimani Project Road — and a building near Paykob Naswar were targeted in the airstrikes. According to the residents, Lulu Tower is a residential building, and some Taliban officials may be living in its apartments.[87] The Afghan Taliban dismissed any new reports airstrikes in Afghanistan and attributed the explosions in Kabul to an oil tanker blast.[35]
16 October
On October 16, the death toll from clashes in Spin Boldak rose to 40 on the Afghan side, according to local health officials.[88] At least 171 others remain injured, several of them in critical condition. According to Afghan media, it remains unclear whether any Taliban military personnel are among the dead. However, reports from southern Afghanistan suggest that the bodies of several Taliban fighters were transferred to Spin Boldak and nearby districts. The Taliban have not yet released updated figures on their casualties in the recent clashes.[88]
17 October
On October 17th, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) disclosed that 37 civilians had lost their lives and 425 others had been injured due to cross-border violence in the past week. The provinces of Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Kunar, Kandahar, and Helmand saw the highest number of casualties.[19][89]
On the same day, following the expiration of a 48-hour ceasefire, Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Paktika Province.[36] According to Taliban officials, the airstrikes targeted three locations,[90] with one strike hitting a house and killing 10 people. The victims included local cricket players, women, and children.[19]International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed sorrow over the deaths of three Afghan cricketers, condemned the violence, and stood in solidarity with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, which announced its withdrawal from November’s tri-nation T20 series in respect for the victims.[91] A Taliban spokesman confirmed the airstrikes, claiming they targeted civilians, and said Kabul reserved the right to respond but had instructed fighters to hold back out of respect for the negotiating team.[92] However, as per the Pakistani officials the airstrikes targeted hideouts of the militant belonging to Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, killing dozens of armed fighters.[36]
7 November
On 7 November, amid peace negotiations between both sides, Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged fire at the border. The Skirmishes resulted in the deaths of at least four Afghan civilians and wounding of five more. Following the clashes, the negotiations between the two sides reportedly deadlocked.[93]
Ceasefire
On 19 October, Qatar announced that both the Afghan and Pakistani governments agreed to a ceasefire after extensive talks in Doha, with mediation from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.[37] As per the agreement, the Afghan government agreed to cease support for groups that carry out attacks against Pakistan, notably the Pakistani Taliban, while both sides would “refrain from targeting each other’s security forces, civilians, or critical infrastructure.”[38]
Peace talks
On 29 October, after the first round of peace talks held in Istanbul failed, Pakistan threatened to 'obliterate' the ruling Taliban government.[94] Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that the dialogue "failed to bring about any workable solution," despite mediation by Turkey and Qatar.[95] Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed that Afghanistan negotiators backpaddled on an agreement.[96] A Taliban official claimed that Pakistan made "unreasonable demands" during the talks and did not address Afghan concerns regarding alleged cross-border airspace violations and the use of Pakistani territory by militant groups to carry out attacks in Afghanistan.[97]
On 30 October, after resumption of peace talks, it was decided that the truce would extend for another week.[98] Afghan sources including TOLOnews claimed that one of the reasons why the talks initially fell apart was that Pakistan had permitted a 'third country' to use its territory to deploy drones against Afghanistan and could not break such an agreement.[99][100]
On 5 November, ahead of the third round of talks in Istanbul, Khawaja Asif reiterated that there'd be escalation and war if the talks fail.[101]
Impact
In response to the death of three local cricketers in Paktika Province, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) withdrew from a T20I tri-nation series between the Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka national cricket teams which was set to be hosted in Pakistan.[102] Despite Afghanistan's withdrawal, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that Zimbabwe would replace Afghanistan, simply stating that it had been notified of "Afghanistan's inability" to partake in the series.[103] The PCB further stated that the series would continue as scheduled, with games to be played in Lahore and Rawalpindi.[104]
During the clashes, the Taliban shut down Shamshad TV, a private broadcaster in Kabul, accusing it of failing to "adequately" cover the recent border fighting with Pakistan and of not defending the "Taliban’s position."[39][105][106][107] The suspension, following a direct order from the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence, has raised concerns about media freedom in Afghanistan. Shamshad TV, one of the few outlets providing relatively independent coverage of regional and political developments, was criticized for not aligning with the Taliban’s narrative.[39][105][106][107] Media organizations such as the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) and the Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO) condemned the move as blatant interference in the press and called for the reversal of the decision, stressing that such actions violate media independence and freedom of expression. Shamshad TV has yet to comment on the shutdown.[39][105][106][107]
However, on October 24, Afghan Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered a dam to be constructed on the Kunar River, directing water away from Pakistan in response to the conflict.[108] After the eight-day military standoff, Pakistan sharply increased the deportation of Afghan migrants, expelling nearly 5,900 individuals on 29 October and more than 7,300 the previous day, according to Afghanistan’s Taliban-run Commission for Refugees and Repatriation. Rights groups warned that the mass expulsions could exacerbate Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis.[109]
Analysis
Ishaq Atmar, a German-based expert on Afghan affairs, told Radio Azadi that the timing of the attack – which occurred during the groundbreaking visit by the Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister to India – "could not be a coincidence". "After Mr. Muttaqi was warmly welcomed by Indian officials, signed agreements, and upgraded diplomatic relations to the embassy level, Pakistan saw this as an opportune time to send a clear message to India, the Taliban government, and other countries" observing regional affairs, he said.[110]
Ibraheem Bahiss, a senior analyst for the International Crisis Group, stated that both Pakistan and Afghanistan aim to avoid a wider conflict, prioritizing de-escalation along the border. He noted that the Afghan Taliban are unlikely to escalate due to Pakistan's superior firepower. Their limited retaliation, he added, was mainly intended to reassure their domestic audience and demonstrate control.[111]
According to the BBC, satellite images and verified drone footage revealed significant damage in Afghanistan amid the ongoing border clashes with Pakistan.[33] BBC analysts verified a video, purportedly filmed between 11 and 12 October, showing three buildings with blue slanted roofs being struck, followed by a large cloud of smoke. Social media users claimed the footage depicted a Pakistani drone strike on a “Taliban camp” in the border city of Spin Boldak. BBC reporters confirmed that the buildings targeted were part of a Taliban border security compound. Further satellite imagery from 14 October showed extensive damage to the same buildings, consistent with the impact observed in the verified video.[33]
According to Atif Mashal, a former Afghan diplomat, and Aziz Amin, a former Afghanistan government official writing for The Diplomat, Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghanistan, including strikes on Kabul, reflect a broader strategy by the Pakistani military to project strength externally in response to growing internal instability. They highlight the historical pattern of Pakistan's military using external aggression to distract from domestic issues, particularly the rise of the TTP, which has roots in Pakistan's past support of militant groups. The authors suggest that Pakistan's coercive tactics, including airstrikes and threats, have undermined diplomatic efforts, strained relations with Afghanistan, and led to an increasing sense of regional isolation.[112]
Reactions
Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan blamed each other for initiating the conflict. Following the deadly clashes, several countries, including the United Nations, called on both sides to de-escalate tensions and resolve their issues through diplomatic means. A report from Afghanistan International stated that, so far, no country has condemned Pakistan's attacks on Afghanistan.[113]
Afghanistan: The government launched an investigation into the blasts, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying no damage or casualties have been confirmed.[114][115] The day after the attack, the Afghan Ministry of Defence blamed Pakistan for the Kabul and Paktika blasts, without sharing any details.[56] Afghanistan also accuses Pakistan of "violating Kabul's sovereign territory".[55] The Taliban Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani stated that Afghanistan would respond forcefully to any aggression, accusing Pakistan of spreading "propaganda and provocations." He said the TTP issue was Pakistan’s internal matter and urged Islamabad to resolve it domestically. Referring to the peace talks, Haqqani stressed that Taliban would not tolerate violations of Afghan territory.[116][117]
Pakistan: Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, spokesperson for the Pakistan Armed Forces, did not confirm or deny whether Pakistan conducted the airstrikes on Kabul. Chaudhry stated that "Afghanistan is being used as a base of operations against Pakistan, and there is proof and evidence of that," adding that "the necessary measures that should be taken to protect the lives and property of the people of Pakistan will be taken and will continue to be taken."[56] Pakistan also blames "Indian proxies" in Afghanistan for terror attacks.[118]Pakistan's President, Asif Ali Zardari had strongly condemned Afghanistan's counterattack saying that "Afghanistan has turned away from the just freedom struggle of the oppressed people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir", which he claimed was "an injustice to both history and the Muslim Ummah".[119]
International reactions
Afghan Permanent Mission to the UN: Acting Permanent Representative Naseer Ahmad Faiq, described Pakistan’s airstrikes on Kabul and Kandahar as a serious breach of international law and Afghanistan’s territorial integrity. He said, “These actions are the result of decades of Pakistan’s interference and misguided policies, the consequences of which the people of Afghanistan have endured for years”.[120]
China: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its concern at the conflict, and hoped "that both countries will prioritise the bigger picture, exercise calm and restraint, and resolve their concerns." Spokesperson Lin Jian added that China was ready to "play a constructive role" in improving bilateral ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan.[121]
India: The Ministry of External Affairs expressed its support for Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity while strongly criticizing Pakistan's regional actions. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Pakistan continues to host terrorist organizations, sponsor terrorist activities, and blame its neighbors for "internal failures." He added, "Pakistan is infuriated by Afghanistan exercising sovereignty within its own borders. But India is fully committed to the territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan." Indian officials emphasized that peace in Afghanistan can only be achieved by dismantling terrorism originating from Pakistani soil and eliminating violent extremism.[122][123][124]
Iran: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on Afghanistan and Pakistan "to exercise restraint" amid ongoing clashes. "Our position is that both sides must exercise restraint," Araghchi said during a live interview with state television, adding that "stability" between the countries "contributes to regional stability".[125]
Qatar: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged both sides to prioritise dialogue, diplomacy, and restraint, and to work towards containing differences in a manner that helps to reduce tension and avoid escalation, in order to achieve regional security and stability. The foreign ministry reiterated Qatar's support for all regional and international efforts aimed at strengthening international peace and security, and affirmed its commitment to ensuring security and prosperity for the people of the two countries.[125]
Russia: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged both sides to exercise restraint and said it was monitoring the events, concluding that the "situation is stabilising."[126] The Foreign ministry concluded that it welcomes this process.[126]
Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying: "The kingdom calls for restraint, avoiding escalation, and embracing dialogue and wisdom to contribute to reducing tensions and maintaining security and stability in the region. The kingdom affirms its support for all regional and international efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability, and its continued commitment to ensuring security, which will achieve stability and prosperity for the brotherly Pakistani and Afghan peoples."[125]
United States: President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One, while he was enroute to Israel, that he heard "there's a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan," adding that "I'll have to wait till I get back," suggesting his intention to mediate between the two countries.[127]
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