Nur Khan base among key Pak military infrastructure attacked by Afghanistan; 32 soldiers killed

Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry claimed it conducted coordinated airstrikes on key Pakistani military installations in response to alleged incursions, warning of further retaliation as cross-border tensions escalated and the Taliban reported casualties among Pakistani forces

Kabul: Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence announced on Monday that its Air Force had conducted what it described as precise and coordinated aerial operations against multiple Pakistani military installations, signalling a sharp escalation in the already worsening security situation between the two neighbouring countries.

In a statement posted on X, the Afghan defence ministry said the strikes were aimed at major Pakistani military facilities, including the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, the 12th Division headquarters in Quetta, Balochistan, and the Khwazai Camp in the Mohmand Agency of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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It further claimed that several other strategic command centres across Pakistan were also targeted during the operation.

“Based on preliminary assessments, the strikes successfully caused significant damage to the intended targets. These operations were carried out in response to the recent aerial incursions by the Pakistani military, which struck Kabul, Bagram,” the statement said.

The ministry stressed that any further breach of Afghan airspace or “acts of aggression” by Pakistan would invite “a swift, decisive, and proportionate response”.

The developments come less than a week after Islamabad declared what it termed “open war” on the Afghan Taliban administration following renewed cross-border clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces. Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and Kandahar on Friday, hours after Afghan forces reportedly attacked Pakistani border troops in retaliation for earlier strikes conducted this week.

The Afghan statement reiterated its warning, asserting that any additional violations of Afghan airspace or “acts of aggression” by Pakistan would be answered with “a swift, decisive, and proportionate response”.

The Nur Khan Airbase, a critical Pakistan Air Force installation near Rawalpindi, had previously been targeted during India’s Operation Sindoor in May 2025.

That earlier strike had damaged select infrastructure at the base, after which repair and restoration activities were reported at the facility.

In a further escalation, the Taliban claimed that 32 Pakistani soldiers were killed in what it described as retaliatory attacks carried out by its forces overnight, reports Afghanistan-based TOLO news.

According to the ministry, the operations were conducted by the 203 Mansouri, 201 Silab, and 205 Al-Badr Corps, resulting not only in fatalities but also in injuries to 10 Pakistani soldiers and the destruction of four military outposts.

The deputy spokesperson for the ministry stated that the forces of Afghanistan also shot down two drones belonging to Pakistan’s military regime.

Sediqullah Nasrat, deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, said, “The country’s defence forces last night launched offensive operations using laser weapons and advanced equipment against the enemy in the provinces of Nangarhar, Paktia, Khost, and Kandahar, led by the 203 Mansouri, 201 Khalid bin Walid, and 205 Al-Badr Corps.”