Pakistan has carried out airstrikes on targets in Afghanistan on the night of September 24, with reports of attacks including an attack on Kandahar - one of the most important centers of Taliban rule.
The information about the explosion in Kandahar was confirmed by eyewitness accounts cited by AFP. A resident of the city reported hearing a plane, followed by a loud explosion, and then seeing a fire in the central part of Kandahar.
As of the early hours of September 24, the Afghan military and government officials had not officially commented on the strike on the city.
Pakistan confirmed the operation
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that Pakistani forces had attacked 10 sites on Afghan territory.
According to him, the targets were related to the launch and storage of drones.
Islamabad claims that the operation was carried out in response to the entry of drones from Afghan territory into Pakistan on September 23.
Pakistan claims that its air defenses shot down eight drones before they reached their targets. si.
Islamabad presents the strikes as a limited operation against military targets.
Kandahar - the most sensitive moment
The information about the explosion in Kandahar is of particular interest.
The city is of great importance to the Taliban movement. It is one of the main political and religious centers of the ruling Afghan government, and the movement's supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, is based in the area.
There is currently no confirmed information on whether the alleged attack was directed against a specific high-ranking representative of the Taliban leadership.
There is also no reliably confirmed information about casualties or the extent of damage in the city itself.
What Islamabad claims
Pakistan accuses the Afghan authorities of allowing attacks against Pakistan from the country's territory.
Islamabad pays particular attention to the Pakistani Taliban – Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Pakistan blames for a number of attacks on its territory.
Kabul rejects these accusations and denies allowing Afghan territory to be used for attacks on other countries.
This is one of the main sources of tension between the two countries.
Afghanistan threatens retaliation
Before the new escalation, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid warned that any violation of Afghan sovereignty by Pakistan would receive a firm response.
At the same time, Kabul says it remains open to dialogue and a diplomatic solution to the dispute.
Turkey, Qatar, China and Saudi Arabia are among the countries trying to mediate between the two countries.
However, the new attacks put these diplomatic efforts under additional strain pressure.
Escalation after series of strikes
The new attack comes just days after Pakistani strikes in the eastern Afghan provinces of Kunar and Paktika.
According to the UN, at least three civilians were killed in the previous strikes. The Pakistani side said it had hit militants.
Now the tension is spreading to Kandahar.
Strikes on major Afghan cities are relatively rare. Kandahar and Kabul were already hit during the severe escalation between the two countries in February.
After the subsequent ceasefire in March, diplomatic efforts failed to convince the Taliban government in Kabul to take sufficient action against the group.
Afghan authorities deny the allegations.
Against this backdrop, each new cross-border incident increases the risk of a wider military confrontation.
What's next
The most important questions in the coming hours are whether Kabul will officially confirm the strike on Kandahar, whether there were casualties and damage, and whether Afghan forces will retaliate.
Especially sensitive is the fact that the alleged strike was in a city that is a key center of the Taliban leadership.
As of this moment, Pakistan has confirmed that it has struck 10 sites in Afghanistan. There are eyewitness accounts of a plane, an explosion and a fire in the Kandahar strike, but Afghan authorities have not yet officially confirmed the specific attack.
The development remains dynamic and any official information from Kabul or Islamabad could change the picture in the coming hours.
Sources: TOLO News, Associated Press