Afghanistan delivered a crushing blow to Pakistan’s military prowess, leveling key bases in Kohat district through calculated airstrikes, as announced by the National Defense Ministry on Friday. This aggressive riposte followed Pakistan’s audacious overnight air assaults on multiple Afghan provinces.
Official statements pinpointed the Kohat military fortress and a proximate war command outpost near the Durand Line as primary targets. ‘Our air force precisely hit the Kohat fort and the command center 2km away, including the commander’s office,’ the ministry posted on X, detailing the annihilation of warehouses, housing, and command infrastructure.
The retaliation stemmed from Pakistan’s strikes on Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, and Paktika, which Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid branded as war crimes. ‘Bombing civilian homes during Ramadan’s final days and Eid eve shows their moral bankruptcy,’ he asserted on social media, noting deaths of innocents and attacks on barren lands.
Mujahid spotlighted the torching of Kam Air’s fuel reserves near Kandahar Airport—supplier to UN and commercial carriers—mirroring earlier hits on Haji Khan Zada’s stocks.
Echoing global concern, UNAMA confirmed Thursday’s carnage in Kabul’s Pul-e-Charkhi: four civilians killed, 14 injured, many women and children. ‘Halt the violence now to protect lives,’ they demanded via X.
Years of simmering tensions over the porous Durand Line have boiled over, with accusations flying over cross-border militancy. Afghanistan’s decisive action signals zero tolerance for incursions, potentially reshaping South Asian security dynamics. Diplomatic channels must activate swiftly to de-escalate before irreparable damage mounts.