Pakistan has launched a series of deadly airstrikes into Afghanistan, sources confirm, escalating a volatile border conflict that has left dozens dead and the region on the brink of wider war. The strikes, which hit multiple locations in Khost and Paktika provinces, targeted what Pakistan’s military described as ‘terrorist hideouts’ belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). But the death toll tells a grimmer story: at least 46 people, mostly women and children, according to Afghan officials. The British government, in a rare move, has issued an immediate call for a ceasefire through its embassy in Islamabad, urging both sides to de-escalate. But the question that hangs over this latest violence is whether the UK’s plea will be heard – or whether it’s already too late.
Uncovered documents and field reports paint a picture of a conflict fuelled by decades of unaccountable power on both sides of the border. The airstrikes come days after a suicide bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claimed by the TTP, killed 10 Pakistani soldiers. Islamabad blames the Afghan Taliban for harbouring the group, despite the Taliban’s repeated denials. ‘We have provided them with intelligence and they have done nothing,’ a Pakistani security official told me, speaking on condition of anonymity. ‘This is a message: we will not tolerate sanctuary for those who kill our people.’ But the message has been delivered at a terrible human cost.
Afghanistan’s acting defence minister, Mullah Yaqoob, has condemned the strikes, calling them a ‘violation of sovereignty’ and warning of retaliation. The UN has reported that at least 20 children are among the dead. In the village of Kunar, a local elder told my sources that the bombings hit a market and a school. ‘They claim they are targeting terrorists,’ he said, his voice breaking. ‘But they killed my son. He was not a fighter. He was a farmer.’
The UK’s call for a ceasefire is notable for its specificity. A Foreign Office spokesperson stated: ‘We urge both sides to step back from the brink. The civilian death toll is unacceptable. There must be an independent investigation.’ But the UK has limited leverage here. Both Pakistan and the Taliban are locked in a cycle of violence that shows no sign of breaking. Pakistan has long accused the Taliban of providing safe haven to the TTP, a group responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan’s history. The Taliban, in turn, sees the strikes as an infringement on their sovereignty – and a betrayal of the relationship they built during the US withdrawal.
This isn’t just about terrorism. It’s about power. Pakistan’s military, which has run the country’s foreign policy for decades, is under immense pressure at home. The TTP attacks have eroded public confidence. The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is weak, the economy is in shambles, and the military is looking for a strongman moment. Airstrikes into Afghanistan play well to a nationalist base. But the cost is measured in bodies and broken families.
Meanwhile, the Taliban is struggling to maintain control amid internal divisions. They cannot be seen as weak on Pakistan. The risk now is that this escalation spirals into a full-blown conflict. The UN has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe, with millions already displaced and border regions already unstable. Sources on the ground say both sides are mobilising reinforcements.
The UK’s ceasefire call may be the last chance to pull back. But without real pressure from the US, China or Russia, it’s just words. And in this part of the world, words don’t stop bullets. The countdown to the next outrage has already begun.
