Flames roared into the sky! Intense fighting erupts between two neighboring countries of China in the early hours of the morning!

At around 3:00 a.m. on September 24, 2026, Pakistan launched sudden aerial strikes against multiple targets inside Afghanistan. Pakistan’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, announced that the operation was conducted in exercise of self-defense, targeting ten sites within Afghanistan used for drone launch and storage. The strike was officially framed as retaliation for an attack carried out by Afghan forces on Pakistani territory on September 23.

I. Overview of Pakistan’s Aerial Strike: Aircraft Deployment, Munitions Used, and Damage Inflicted in Afghanistan

Multiple sources confirm that Pakistan Air Force deployed its primary combat aircraft formation, including U.S.-made F-16 Fighting Falcons and the JF-17 Thunder, a jointly developed fighter jet by China and Pakistan. Afghan Taliban officials displayed remnants of ordnance recovered from the strike sites, with markings and serial codes indicating the use of GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs.

The GBU-12 is a 500-pound precision-guided munition derived from the MK-82 general-purpose bomb, fitted with a laser guidance kit. Its key advantage lies in high accuracy, enabling effective neutralization of point-target hard assets such as armored vehicles, air defense installations, troop concentrations, rocket launchers, and logistical hubs. Priced at approximately $22,000 per unit, it remains one of the more cost-effective guided bombs in the U.S. military arsenal.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid reported that the strikes affected provinces of Paktia, Khost, and Kandahar, resulting in at least four civilian deaths. Pakistani authorities stated that they conducted "precision strikes" on ten locations used for drone operations within Afghanistan and claimed destruction of militant caches of American-made weapons and command centers. Additional reports suggest that 16 Afghan outposts were destroyed and seven occupied. Islamabad emphasized that the strikes were “precise, measured, and proportionate,” strictly limited to military objectives, and accompanied by measures aimed at minimizing civilian casualties. According to Pakistan’s military report, subsequent retaliatory actions killed over 70 militants and wounded more than 120. Discrepancies persist between official casualty figures released by Afghan and Pakistani sides.

II. Why Pakistan Rarely Conducted Direct Airstrikes on Kandahar, a Major Southern Afghan City

Pakistan’s rare direct airstrikes on Kandahar represent a meticulously planned escalation intended as a punitive response. While the immediate trigger was drone incursions, the deeper strategic motivation reflects Pakistan’s attempt to fundamentally alter its longstanding policy of appeasement toward the Taliban regime by targeting symbolic core institutions, thereby exerting unprecedented pressure on Kabul.

Pakistani statements indicated that on September 23, eight drones originated from Afghan territory and unlawfully entered Pakistani airspace. The country’s air defense systems detected, tracked, and intercepted all of them before they could reach their intended targets. The choice to strike Kandahar carries significant symbolic weight and strategic intent far beyond mere disruption of drone infrastructure. As the spiritual birthplace and political stronghold of the Taliban movement, Kandahar is also the residence of senior Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Attacking this city constitutes a direct challenge to the core leadership of the group.

Pakistan claims it targeted military facilities in Kandahar, including the headquarters of the “203 Mansoori Corps.” The aim is to systematically dismantle the Taliban’s military infrastructure and drone warfare capabilities. Local sources allege that strike targets may have included Akhundzada’s residence and the complex housing the ancestral home of Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban. Analysts interpret this shift as marking a decisive evolution in Pakistan’s operational doctrine—from border-level warnings to direct “decapitation” strikes and elimination of high-value targets within the heartland of the Taliban movement.

III. Underlying Causes of Escalating Clashes Between Pakistan and Afghanistan: Core Points of Conflict

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are neighboring states and key participants along the Belt and Road Initiative. Their stability holds significant importance for regional security. Despite repeated diplomatic efforts to mediate tensions, hostilities continue, reflecting deep-seated and persistent disagreements. The root of the conflict lies in the interlocking crises of cross-border terrorism and the contested legacy of the Durand Line—a historical boundary that has long fueled territorial disputes.

Core Issue One: Cross-Border Terrorism and the TTP

The Pakistani government attributes frequent deadly terrorist attacks within its borders to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an insurgent group believed to be sheltered and supported by the Afghan Taliban government. According to Islamabad, the TTP maintains safe havens and operational freedom in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials cite multiple United Nations and international reports indicating that over 6,000 TTP fighters enjoy sanctuary in Afghanistan and have launched more than 600 attacks against Pakistan from Afghan soil. Islamabad maintains that so long as such groups remain active, the risk of border clashes remains structurally inevitable.

Core Issue Two: The Durand Line and Historical Territorial Dispute

The 2,000-plus kilometer border between the two nations is known as the Durand Line, drawn by British colonial administrators in 1893. It arbitrarily divided the traditional homeland of the Pashtun ethnic group, leading successive Afghan governments to reject its legitimacy as a product of colonial-era imperialism. Meanwhile, Pakistan upholds the line as its internationally recognized state boundary and continues to strengthen border controls—actions perceived by Kabul as violations of sovereignty and further inflaming nationalist sentiments.

IV. Foreign Interference in the Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict

Foreign interference remains a critical factor contributing to the persistence of conflict between the two nations. India is widely regarded by Pakistan as the principal external actor driving escalation. Pakistan’s defense minister has explicitly accused the Afghan Taliban of turning their country into an “Indian colony.” India’s strategic objective appears to be establishing a dual-front encirclement of Pakistan through Afghanistan, leveraging the region as a geopolitical lever. By reopening its embassy in Kabul, providing humanitarian aid, and investing in infrastructure, India seeks to reassert influence in Afghanistan—a move viewed by Islamabad as a direct threat to its strategic depth.

This foreign involvement has transformed the nature of the conflict, shifting it from a bilateral dispute into a proxy confrontation shaped and exploited by external powers, effectively embedding it within a broader framework of geopoliitical competition.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1877218748210243/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.