Pakistani fighter jets reportedly carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, on Thursday night. According to Taliban officials, no casualties have been reported, although rumours circulated on social media suggesting that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud had been killed.
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on X (formerly Twitter):
“Investigations into the incident are ongoing, but so far there are no reports of casualties. Everything is under control.”
According to the French news agency AFP, the first powerful explosion occurred at around 9:50 p.m. local time, followed by a second blast a few minutes later.
Several social media accounts linked to Pakistan’s military claimed that the explosions in Kabul resulted in the death of TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud. However, there has been no official confirmation from the Pakistani government, which has previously remained silent on alleged cross-border strikes.
Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwary wrote on X that “reports suggest the airstrikes in Kabul targeted senior TTP leaders.” He added that the strikes coincided with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to India.
After midnight, an unverified audio message began circulating on social media in which a person claiming to be Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud stated that he was alive and in Pakistan’s tribal districts. The message, dated 9 October, denied reports of his death. TTP has not confirmed the authenticity of the audio or issued any statement regarding Mehsud’s status.
Residents reported hearing loud explosions and spotting drones over parts of Kabul. An AFP correspondent said that security forces were on high alert, checking vehicles across the city, while mobile phone services were suspended in several neighbourhoods.
Reuters reported that the first blast occurred near Abdul Haq Square, close to several government ministries and the national intelligence agency’s offices. Another explosion was reportedly heard in the Shahr-e-Naw district, though this could not be independently verified.
Former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad also commented on X, asking whether Pakistan had indeed conducted the strike allegedly targeting TTP leader Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud. He noted that while initial reports might be inaccurate, “the atmosphere of war has been created.”
As of now, neither the Afghan nor Pakistani governments, nor TTP itself, have confirmed Mehsud’s reported death. Independent sources have also not verified the claim.
Speculation over the incident follows a recent surge in militant attacks in Pakistan. On Wednesday, eleven Pakistani soldiers, including two officers, were killed in an ambush in the Orakzai tribal district. A day later, the Jaffar Express passenger train was targeted in the third such attack within a couple of weeks.
In recent years, Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces have witnessed increased attacks on security forces. Islamabad attributes these assaults to the TTP and Baloch “separatist” groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), both of which have claimed responsibility for several incidents.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Kabul of harbouring TTP leaders and has urged the Afghan Taliban administration to take action against them, a claim the Taliban government has consistently denied.