KARACHI: Multiple reports circulating on social media platform X late Thursday night into early Friday morning (March 12–13) suggest that several airstrikes were carried out at different locations inside Afghanistan, marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing 2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan conflict.
The strikes reportedly began around 12:30 AM local time, with residents in Kabul and other provinces describing the sound of jets overhead and sharing videos of nighttime explosions and anti-aircraft fire. While Pakistan has not officially confirmed its involvement, accounts claiming proximity to the country’s military establishment, alongside Afghan journalists, have linked the operation to cross-border hostilities that have intensified since February.
According to details compiled by MM News and widely shared on X, the strikes targeted multiple Afghan provinces:
– Kabul: Explosions were reported in the Pul-e-Charkhi neighbourhood and near a brigade headquarters. Witnesses said Taliban fighters fired into the sky as aircraft remained audible. Kabul police later confirmed at least four fatalities in the capital.
– Kandahar: Several blasts occurred near the airport, including at a Kam Air fuel storage facility and areas close to the Kandahar Corps compound.
– Chamkani district (Paktia province): Military positions and Taliban strongholds were said to have been hit.
– Other locations: Mentions of strikes in Paktika and Khost suggest ammunition depots and TTP-linked training camps may have been targeted with precision munitions.
On Friday, Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that Pakistan had carried out airstrikes in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Paktika and other areas. “These attacks will not go unanswered,” he said in a statement, adding that civilian areas were struck, including private Kam Air’s fuel storage near Kandahar Airport. Mujahid claimed that the company supplies fuel for domestic airlines as well as United Nations aircraft, and alleged that the strikes caused civilian casualties. Pakistani officials have not yet issued any statement regarding the midnight raids.
Conflicting narratives emerged online in the aftermath. Afghan and Taliban-linked sources condemned the strikes as an attack on Afghan territory and vowed retaliation, while Pakistani-aligned accounts framed them as targeted operations against TTP and- ISIS-K hideouts, insisting the focus was on military installations such as depots and brigade headquarters. Afghan authorities, however, claimed civilian areas were also affected, though a verified toll has yet to be established.
