Afghanistan and Pakistan have been shelling each other again for a few days now.Image: keystone
June 19, 2026, 1:37 p.mJune 19, 2026, 1:37 p.m
In the simmering conflict between neighboring countries, Afghanistan says it has attacked targets in Pakistan. The Afghan Ministry of Defense wrote on X that it carried out “air strikes” at various locations in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information also spoke on X about the shooting down of an Afghan drone. The information cannot be independently verified.
Afghan drone attacks on Pakistan have been rare in the past. While the Pakistani air force had also attacked deep in the Afghan interior during the ongoing conflict, the Islamist Taliban ruling in Kabul mostly limited themselves to battles in the shared border area.
269 dead in attack in March
A possible Afghan attack in Pakistan could therefore represent an escalation. An Afghan drone attack on the Pakistani capital Islamabad in March was followed a few days later by a heavy Pakistani airstrike that destroyed a clinic in Kabul. The United Nations later said 269 people died as a result of the attack.
In the latest drone attacks, the Afghan Ministry of Defense speaks of having attacked Islamic State (IS) terrorist camps in the region. The statement is very clearly reminiscent of statements made by the Pakistani side after its attacks on Afghan territory.
The conflict between the neighboring countries has been going on for several months now and is repeatedly breaking out in major mutual attacks. The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is also worsening because Pakistan has closed common border crossings in the wake of the conflict. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring terrorists who carry out attacks in Pakistan. Kabul contradicts the portrayal. (leo/sda/dpa)