Taliban Airstrikes and Renewed Escalation of Fighting in Torkham.
As heavy clashes resumed at the Torkham border crossing on Saturday, the Taliban Ministry of Defense announced that it had carried out “airstrikes” against several military centers in various Pakistani cities.
According to the Taliban border police spokesperson, fighting in Torkham continued with the use of heavy weapons, and positions of the Pakistani army were targeted. Although no precise casualty figures have been released, local sources report significant damage on both sides of the border. Pakistan has not yet issued an official statement regarding these claims.
The Taliban Ministry of Defense claimed that Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi, the 12th Corps headquarters in Quetta, Balochistan, and the Khwizo camp in Mohmand Agency, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were among the targets of the airstrikes. The ministry did not specify the type of equipment used, but its deputy spokesperson, in a video posted on the social platform X, stated that the attacks were conducted using a high-speed drone.
These developments follow recent cross-border tensions, during which both sides accused each other of violating sovereignty and escalating hostilities. The coincidence of border clashes with reported air operations deep inside each other’s territory indicates that tensions have entered an unprecedented and alarming phase, with potentially broader regional security implications.
