The Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan announced on Friday that Afghan air forces carried out overnight strikes targeting Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) positions in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

In a statement, the ministry said the targeted sites were being used by ISIS elements, allegedly backed by intelligence-linked networks, to plan and coordinate attacks against Afghanistan. It added that the locations had previously been connected to deadly attacks carried out inside the country.

According to the statement, strikes were conducted in the Gulistan area of Killa Abdullah district and the Shakar Ab Jungle Gardi area of Chagai district in Balochistan. Another operation reportedly targeted a facility in the Qambar Khel area of Orakzai district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where senior ISIS-K figures were said to be active.

The ministry said initial assessments show that key pre-identified targets were successfully hit during the operation. It emphasized that Afghanistan will use all available capabilities to counter threats against its national security and prevent future attacks.

Belgium’s Foreign Minister, Maxime Prevot, has said his government cannot block an Afghan delegation from traveling to Brussels for European Union-hosted talks, despite his personal opposition to inviting representatives of Afghanistan’s current authorities.

Speaking before parliament’s foreign relations committee on Wednesday, Prevot responded to questions from lawmakers regarding visas issued to members of the Afghan delegation, according to Belgian news agency Belga.

The foreign minister reiterated that he does not support inviting representatives of Afghanistan’s current administration and stressed that formal recognition of the authorities remains out of the question.

However, Prevot noted that Belgium’s role as host to the European Union’s institutions limits its ability to prevent foreign delegations invited by EU bodies from attending meetings in Brussels.

He confirmed that Belgian authorities had processed visa applications submitted by the Afghan delegation and that all necessary security checks had been completed.

The delegation is expected to travel to Brussels for discussions requested by the European Commission, with talks expected to focus on the return of Afghan refugees and migration-related issues.

The meeting comes as European governments continue to engage with Afghanistan’s authorities on practical matters, while maintaining that such contacts do not amount to formal diplomatic recognition.

Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which has warned that restrictions affecting women and girls could further hinder access to essential healthcare services.

Olga Cherevko, OCHA’s Head of Communications in Afghanistan, said in a post on X that frontline health workers are saving the lives of mothers and newborns every day despite significant challenges. She stressed that continued support for Afghanistan’s healthcare system is vital to maintaining life-saving maternal and newborn health services.

Cherevko also called on the international community to sustain humanitarian assistance, saying ongoing support is crucial to protecting the health and well-being of mothers and infants across the country.

The warning comes amid continued concerns over healthcare access and funding shortages, which aid organizations say could undermine progress in reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

Meanwhile, officials at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health have previously stated that maternal mortality has declined in recent years. The ministry has questioned figures published by some international organizations, arguing that such estimates do not reflect the reality on the ground and are not based on comprehensive national statistics.