Pakistan's military carried out fresh airstrikes on Afghanistan's Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost provinces on Thursday, 24 September, killing four civilians, according to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid. The strikes mark a sharp escalation in cross-border hostilities between Islamabad and Kabul, coming just days after similar attacks on Kunar and Paktika provinces on 21 September that killed three people.

Taliban's Response and Warning

Condemning the strikes as 'indiscriminate and cowardly,' Mujahid described them as a flagrant violation of international principles and a clear act of 'aggression and crime.' In a post on X, the spokesperson issued a pointed warning to Islamabad.

'The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan assures the people that these shameless acts of aggression and attacks by the Pakistani military regime will be met with an appropriate response through a decisive stance,' Mujahid stated, adding that Pakistan had spread claims about drones allegedly crossing from Afghan territory — which he characterised as an attempt to justify the strikes.

He further warned that such 'reckless, careless, and hostile actions' would 'undoubtedly provoke the anger of the Afghan people and have adverse consequences for the Pakistani military regime.'

Karzai Condemns Bombings, Urges Dialogue

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai also weighed in sharply, posting on X to criticise Islamabad's continued policy of aggression. 'Pakistan once again carried out bombings in Kandahar, Khost, and Paktia of our dear homeland. It seems that Islamabad does not intend to abandon its continuation of that negative policy, the fire of which has now reached its own doorstep as well,' Karzai wrote.

He called on Pakistan to choose the path of 'good neighbourliness' and to 'civilise its relations' with Afghanistan, asserting that Afghans stood 'united and resolute' against what he termed Pakistani aggression.

Pattern of Escalation

The 24 September strikes are the second such cross-border military action within the week. The 21 September airstrikes on Kunar and Paktika had already drawn sharp condemnation from the Taliban, with Mujahid warning then of an 'appropriate response.' Pakistan has reportedly framed its operations as targeting militant groups it accuses of using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistani territory — a claim the Taliban has consistently denied.

Notably, Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have deteriorated significantly in recent years, with Islamabad frequently accusing the Taliban-led government of providing sanctuary to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Taliban, in turn, has rejected what it calls interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs.

Regional and Humanitarian Implications

The cumulative toll from this week's airstrikes now stands at at least seven civilians killed across five Afghan provinces. Humanitarian organisations have raised concerns about civilian safety in border regions already strained by poverty and displacement. The strikes also test the Taliban administration's posture — caught between asserting sovereignty and managing a fragile security environment along a contested frontier.

With both sides issuing escalatory statements and no diplomatic channel publicly engaged, the coming days will be critical in determining whether the situation moves toward dialogue or further military confrontation.