Pakistan has carried out precision aerial and drone strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan after drones were launched from Afghan territory into Pakistan a day earlier, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said.
Islamabad described the action as a limited and proportionate response targeting sites used to launch and store the drones.
In a statement posted on X, Tarar said Pakistan conducted the strikes in exercise of its sovereign right to self-defence. He said the 10 locations targeted in Afghanistan were being used for launching and storing drones involved in the attempted attacks.
According to the minister, the strikes were “deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate” and were strictly limited to identified military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks against Pakistan.
The action followed the September 23 incursion, when drones entered Pakistani airspace from Afghan territory. Pakistan’s air defence systems detected, tracked and neutralised all the intruding platforms before they could reach their intended targets, according to Tarar.
Security sources separately reported that eight drones were intercepted, with four brought down near the Torkham border and four in mountainous areas adjoining Kohat.
Pakistan condemns drone incursion
Tarar condemned what he described as a deliberate and unlawful incursion into Pakistan, calling it a blatant violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a grave and unacceptable act of aggression.
He said Pakistan had repeatedly conveyed its serious concerns to the Afghan Taliban regime and its interlocutors over the continued presence of terrorist sanctuaries and support networks on Afghan soil.
According to Tarar, instead of dismantling those networks and taking credible, verifiable and sustained action against groups using Afghan territory to carry out attacks against Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban regime had escalated tensions through hostile drone operations.
Islamabad warns against further attacks
The information minister said Pakistan would neither accept nor tolerate attacks launched from Afghan territory, whether by terrorist groups or by the Afghan Taliban regime itself.
He warned that any violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty would trigger an immediate and decisive response. Tarar added that threats, denials or attempts by the Afghan Taliban to deflect responsibility would not change what Pakistan described as the facts of the incident or limit its right to defend its territory, people and national security.
Pakistan called on the Afghan Taliban regime to immediately cease all hostile activity against the country and fulfil its international obligations by taking effective, concrete, verifiable and sustained action against terrorist entities operating from Afghan soil.
Islamabad also stressed that Afghan territory must not be used to launch attacks or conduct hostile operations against Pakistan.
Islamabad says it does not seek escalation
At the same time, Pakistan said it did not seek escalation and remained committed to regional peace, dialogue and constructive engagement.
Tarar said that commitment should not be mistaken for weakness or unlimited tolerance of hostile actions. He maintained that Pakistan would defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the lives of its citizens with full resolve and take all necessary measures to protect them.
He further warned that any additional provocative act by the Afghan Taliban would receive a firm and resolute response.
