Afghanistan’s Taliban-led Ministry of Defence has claimed that its air force carried out strikes against Islamic State (IS) positions in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, marking a rare assertion of cross-border military action inside Pakistan.
In a statement posted on X, the ministry’s deputy spokesperson, Siddiqullah Nusrat, said Afghan aircraft targeted what he described as a joint militant centre in the Saranan area of Pishin. He alleged that the site was being used to plan attacks and “subversive activities” inside Afghanistan.
The ministry further claimed that additional strikes targeted an alleged IS facility in the Qambar Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), as well as another purported joint centre used by IS and other armed groups in the Garam Chashma area of the Shah Salim Valley in Chitral.
According to the Afghan defence ministry, the targeted sites were involved in planning attacks against Afghanistan and its civilians. It claimed that the operations inflicted significant casualties and material losses on Islamic State militants, their supporters and other armed actors, while causing no civilian casualties.
Reports of Injuries in Pishin
Reports from Pishin, however, indicate that at least two people were injured after drones reportedly fell in the Saranan area.
One eyewitness said drones originating from Afghanistan were seen over Saranan and claimed that one or two were brought down by gunfire. According to the witness, debris from the drones injured at least two individuals.
Local sources offered a different account, claiming that a drone struck a school building in Saranan that was reportedly being used as accommodation by former Afghan government security personnel. According to these sources, three people were injured in the incident.
Pakistani Military Responds
Meanwhile, residents in Quetta reported hearing military aircraft operating over the city during the night.
Following the incident, the Pakistani military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, stated that four “rudimentary drones” launched from Afghanistan entered Balochistan on 30 June but were intercepted before reaching their intended targets.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, ISPR claimed that Pakistan’s air defence systems detected the drones shortly after they crossed the border and that security forces subsequently neutralised all four using what it described as advanced defensive measures.
The Pakistani military further alleged that the incident formed part of a broader pattern of support by the Afghan Taliban administration for armed groups operating from Afghan territory.
Neither side’s claims regarding the alleged targets, casualties or damage have been independently verified. The developments come amid continuing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over cross-border militancy, airstrikes and security concerns along the frontier.