In a retaliatory move following last night’s Pakistani military airstrikes, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense announced that Afghan Air Forces conducted precision airstrikes early this morning on military sites in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to the ministry, the targeted strikes destroyed a key military fort in Kohat and hit strategic locations near the Durand Line, including a command center and the fort commander’s office, located around two kilometers away.

The Ministry of Defense claimed that the strikes neutralized several military facilities, ammunition depots, and troop quarters, inflicting significant damage to Pakistani forces. Afghan authorities also reported heavy personnel and material losses for the enemy as a result of the operation.

These airstrikes come amidst a rising civilian death toll, with Pakistan’s airstrike in Kabul’s Pul-e-Charkhi area on the night of March 12 reportedly killing four civilians, including women, and injuring over 30 others. The escalating violence has sparked growing concerns over the safety of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office has confirmed that Islamabad is in contact with China regarding the recent tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

According to Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar recently held a phone conversation with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss the latest developments.

Speaking during a weekly press briefing, Andrabi said Pakistan and China share a long-standing strategic partnership built on mutual trust and deep respect. He added that the two countries maintain close coordination on a range of regional issues, including the evolving situation in Afghanistan.

The spokesperson noted that Islamabad and Beijing hold similar perspectives on Afghanistan and continue consultations through bilateral and trilateral dialogue mechanisms designed to promote regional stability.

Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry said its Special Envoy for Afghan Affairs has been traveling between Kabul and Islamabad to facilitate dialogue and help reduce tensions between the neighboring countries.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office also clarified that a delegation that recently visited Afghanistan for talks with Afghan officials was not an official mission of the Pakistani government, but rather part of an informal initiative.

Beijing has stressed that the most urgent priority is preventing further escalation and encouraging both Afghanistan and Pakistan to return to dialogue as soon as possible in order to maintain regional stability.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has strongly condemned recent airstrikes that he says were carried out by Pakistan Armed Forces in several provinces of Afghanistan, describing the attacks as a “clear act of aggression” that caused civilian casualties.

In a statement released on Friday, Mujahid said the strikes took place in multiple locations, including Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia and Paktika provinces, as well as other areas.

According to the spokesman, some of the airstrikes struck residential houses, resulting in the deaths of civilians, including women and children. Other strikes reportedly hit areas that were uninhabited.

Mujahid said the timing of the attacks — during the final days of the holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of Eid al-Fitr — showed that those responsible “do not adhere to humanitarian principles or moral values.”

“The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns this crime and clear aggression in the strongest terms, and this cruelty will not go unanswered,” Mujahid said.

He also claimed that one of the airstrikes targeted a fuel storage facility belonging to Kam Air near Kandahar International Airport. According to Mujahid, the facility supplied fuel to civilian airlines as well as aircraft operated by the United Nations.

Mujahid further alleged that in a previous similar incident, another fuel depot owned by an Afghan trader, Haji Khanzada, was also targeted.