Taliban claims airstrikes on ISIS-K sites in Pakistan as cross-border tensions deepen
The Taliban said the attacks targeted locations in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that were allegedly being used to plan sabotage and attacks against civilians in Afghanistan
- Jul 1, 2026,
- Updated Jul 1, 2026 8:31 AM IST
Afghanistan’s Taliban government claimed its forces had struck alleged Islamic State Khorasan bases inside Pakistan, opening another front in the deteriorating relationship between the two neighbours.
The Taliban said the attacks targeted locations in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that were allegedly being used to plan sabotage and attacks against civilians in Afghanistan. Pakistan rejected the account, saying the claimed strikes had not taken place.
The Taliban’s Defence Ministry said its air force had targeted several centres affiliated with ISIS-K, the regional branch of the Islamic State, on the night of June 18.
School described as ISIS-K hideout
Among the locations purportedly targeted was a school in the Saran area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Taliban claimed the site was being used as a hideout by ISIS fighters. It said several members of the group were killed and maintained that the operation caused no civilian casualties.
The claims could not be independently verified. Islamabad denied that Afghanistan had successfully carried out the strikes, although Pakistani authorities said an Afghan drone had been intercepted in Khyber district.
Pakistani strikes kill civilians, UN says
Tensions escalated further on June 28 when Pakistan conducted ground and air operations along the Afghan border.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said at least 28 civilians were killed and 49 injured in strikes across Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces. It warned that the toll could rise as hospitals continued treating the wounded.
Pakistan’s security forces disputed the civilian casualty account, saying 29 militants had been killed in ground and air operations. Islamabad said the action targeted hideouts linked to groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.
Afghan government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat put the toll at 38 civilians killed and 163 injured, including women and children.
The conflicting accounts could not be independently reconciled.
India condemns Pakistan’s actions
India condemned Pakistan’s strikes on Afghan territory, describing them as an attack on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a threat to regional stability.
“India strongly condemns Pakistan's air-strikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in several civilian casualties, including women and children. This blatant act of aggression by Pakistan is an assault on Afghanistan's sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
“It reflects Pakistan's persistent pattern of reckless behaviour and its futile attempt to externalise internal failures through desperate acts of violence beyond its borders,” the ministry added.
Former allies trade allegations
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of sheltering militants involved in attacks inside Pakistan, particularly members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and allied groups.
Kabul denies the accusation and argues that militancy within Pakistan is an internal security issue for Islamabad.
Relations between the former allies have deteriorated sharply, with cross-border strikes, drone attacks and clashes becoming more frequent. The two sides fought their most serious confrontation in years in February, and subsequent diplomatic efforts have failed to produce a lasting settlement.
The latest claims and counterclaims have added to concerns that military action is increasingly replacing diplomacy along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Afghanistan’s Taliban government claimed its forces had struck alleged Islamic State Khorasan bases inside Pakistan, opening another front in the deteriorating relationship between the two neighbours.
The Taliban said the attacks targeted locations in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that were allegedly being used to plan sabotage and attacks against civilians in Afghanistan. Pakistan rejected the account, saying the claimed strikes had not taken place.
The Taliban’s Defence Ministry said its air force had targeted several centres affiliated with ISIS-K, the regional branch of the Islamic State, on the night of June 18.
School described as ISIS-K hideout
Among the locations purportedly targeted was a school in the Saran area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Taliban claimed the site was being used as a hideout by ISIS fighters. It said several members of the group were killed and maintained that the operation caused no civilian casualties.
The claims could not be independently verified. Islamabad denied that Afghanistan had successfully carried out the strikes, although Pakistani authorities said an Afghan drone had been intercepted in Khyber district.
Pakistani strikes kill civilians, UN says
Tensions escalated further on June 28 when Pakistan conducted ground and air operations along the Afghan border.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said at least 28 civilians were killed and 49 injured in strikes across Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces. It warned that the toll could rise as hospitals continued treating the wounded.
Pakistan’s security forces disputed the civilian casualty account, saying 29 militants had been killed in ground and air operations. Islamabad said the action targeted hideouts linked to groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.
Afghan government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat put the toll at 38 civilians killed and 163 injured, including women and children.
The conflicting accounts could not be independently reconciled.
India condemns Pakistan’s actions
India condemned Pakistan’s strikes on Afghan territory, describing them as an attack on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a threat to regional stability.
“India strongly condemns Pakistan's air-strikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in several civilian casualties, including women and children. This blatant act of aggression by Pakistan is an assault on Afghanistan's sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
“It reflects Pakistan's persistent pattern of reckless behaviour and its futile attempt to externalise internal failures through desperate acts of violence beyond its borders,” the ministry added.
Former allies trade allegations
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of sheltering militants involved in attacks inside Pakistan, particularly members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and allied groups.
Kabul denies the accusation and argues that militancy within Pakistan is an internal security issue for Islamabad.
Relations between the former allies have deteriorated sharply, with cross-border strikes, drone attacks and clashes becoming more frequent. The two sides fought their most serious confrontation in years in February, and subsequent diplomatic efforts have failed to produce a lasting settlement.
The latest claims and counterclaims have added to concerns that military action is increasingly replacing diplomacy along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier.
(With inputs from Reuters)