 "The video was shared on X by the news agency PTI.")
A video purportedly released by Afghanistan’s Taliban-led defence ministry on Friday has shown what it claims are strikes on Pakistani targets, emerging as cross-border tensions between the two neighbours intensify into a severe confrontation.
The footage, shared on X by PTI and attributed to Afghanistan’s Taliban Defence Ministry, is being described as evidence of retaliatory strikes carried out amid the ongoing escalation. The ministry claims the video reflects its latest military response as the crisis deepens.
Watch the video here:
Taliban authorities on Friday said they had carried out coordinated air strikes on Pakistani military facilities, including a site near Islamabad, amid continued mounting tensions between the two neighbours.
In a statement, Afghanistan’s Taliban Defence Ministry said its air force struck locations at around 11:00 am local time near Faizabad, a military camp in Nowshera, an army base in Jamrud, and a military complex in Abbottabad. The ministry said the operation was successful and claimed that key Pakistani military facilities were hit.
Satellite images released
Satellite images captured on Friday indicate that several buildings in Kabul were damaged following Pakistani airstrikes, offering visual confirmation of a sharp escalation between the neighbouring states. Imagery from February 27 showed destruction at multiple sites, contrasting with pictures from February 26 that displayed the same structures fully intact.
Earlier on Friday, Pakistani security sources issued monochrome footage they said depicted airstrikes on the same Kabul locations identified in the satellite images.
Pakistan carried out strikes in Kabul and other Afghan cities on Friday and declared a state of “war” with its neighbour, after the Taliban said it had hit several locations along the border and killed numerous Pakistani soldiers.
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View AllPakistan calls situation “open war”
Pakistani officials referred to the situation as “open war,” underlining a dramatic collapse in relations.
Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesman for Pakistan’s prime minister, said 297 Afghan Taliban and militants had been killed. Afghanistan government spokesman Hamdullayh Fitrat said at least 19 civilians had been killed in Khost and Paktika provinces.
Despite the escalation, Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities stated on Friday that they were willing to enter negotiations. The clashes follow months of mounting strain, with Pakistan alleging that militants responsible for cross-border attacks are being sheltered inside Afghanistan — a claim Kabul denies.