Afghanistan has said it thwarted an attempted Pakistani airstrike on Bagram airbase, the former US military facility north of Kabul, as cross-border fighting between the two nations entered its fourth day. The police headquarters of Parwan province, where Bagram is located, reported that several Pakistani military jets entered Afghan airspace at around 5am on Sunday and attempted to bomb the base.
Afghan forces responded with anti-aircraft and missile defence systems, successfully repelling the attack, according to the statement. There was no immediate comment from Pakistan on the claim. The incident marks the latest escalation in hostilities that flared up on Thursday, when Afghanistan launched attacks along the frontier and Pakistan retaliated with ground and aerial strikes, declaring an “open war”.
Pakistan has acknowledged bombing key cities including Kabul and Kandahar on Friday. The Taliban government’s deputy spokesperson, Hamdullah Fitrat, said Pakistani fire had killed 36 civilians across multiple provinces since Thursday, a figure Islamabad has not commented on. Sporadic clashes were reported on Sunday afternoon in Khost and Nangarhar provinces, while overnight fighting occurred at the Torkham border crossing and in Paktia province.
Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to act against militant groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has stepped up attacks in Pakistan since 2021. Analysts noted that this week’s escalation marked the first time Pakistan has focused airstrikes on Afghan government facilities, a departure from previous operations targeting militants. Diplomatic efforts by Saudi Arabia and Qatar have failed to secure a truce, and the international community has expressed alarm given the presence of al-Qaida and Islamic State in the region.
Both sides have issued conflicting casualty figures. Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said 46 locations in Afghanistan were hit and 415 Afghan soldiers killed, while Pakistan lost 12 soldiers. The Taliban government claimed more than 80 Pakistani soldiers killed and 27 military posts captured, with its own troop losses at 13. These claims remain difficult to verify independently.
