Reuters: Afghanistan and Pakistan exchange cross-border strikes

The Afghan Taliban has claimed it carried out airstrikes on Pakistani territory, while Islamabad said its forces intercepted and shot down four rudimentary drones in Pakistan’s resource-rich southern province of Balochistan.

The exchange of strikes on Tuesday, June 30, marks the latest escalation in a series of clashes between the South Asian neighbours, Reuters reports.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence stated that its forces targeted what it described as an ISIS centre in the town of Saranan in Pakistan’s border province of Balochistan, as well as other locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistan’s military said the drones were immediately detected and neutralised. Provincial authorities confirmed a drone attack and reported that one UAV was spotted near a government school in Saranan. Officials said two people were injured.

According to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Afghanistan does not operate fighter jets but is known to possess at least six aircraft and 23 helicopters. Taliban forces are also reported to use drones, which have previously been deployed in clashes with Pakistan.

The conflict between the two sides has killed hundreds of people this year, while mediation efforts led by China and Türkiye have so far failed to ease tensions.

By Jeyhun Aghazada