Pakistan Conducts Retaliatory Strikes in Afghanistan Following Soldier Deaths

KABUL/ISLAMABAD — Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached a critical boiling point following a series of cross-border military actions. Pakistan launched a major missile and airstrike operation targeting suspected militant hideouts inside Afghan territory, a move Islamabad describes as a direct response to the killing of its security personnel.

The Incident: Casualties and Impact

According to reports from Afghan provincial officials and local sources, the strikes primarily targeted the northeastern province of Kunar and border regions of Paktika and Khost.

• Casualties: At least 7 people have been confirmed dead, with reports indicating the victims include women and children.

• Injuries: Approximately 75 people were injured in the shelling. Local hospitals, including those in Asadabad, reported a surge in patients, many of whom were students at the nearby Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University, which was reportedly caught in the crossfire.

• Infrastructure: Residences and civilian infrastructure sustained significant damage, with Afghan officials condemning the "reckless" use of heavy artillery and rockets.

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The Trigger: Attack on Pakistani Troops

The Pakistani military stated that these strikes were a "precise, intelligence-based operation." The escalation follows a deadly ambush earlier this week where:

• 6 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a high-intensity skirmish along the border.

• Islamabad blames the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claiming they use Afghan soil as a safe haven to launch attacks against Pakistan.

• The Pakistani Defense Ministry has warned that any further "terrorism sponsored from across the border" will be met with full military force.

Escalating "Open War" Tensions

This latest exchange follows a pattern of deteriorating relations throughout 2024 and early 2025. Despite several rounds of China-mediated talks in Urumqi and temporary ceasefires for religious holidays, the "tit-for-tat" cycle of violence continues.

The Afghan Taliban government has denied providing sanctuary to militants and has warned Pakistan that "violating Afghanistan's sovereignty will have dire consequences."

The Union Home Ministry has said that members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who came to India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan till December 31, 2024 to escape religious persecution will be allowed to stay in the country even without passport or other travel documents.

The government has given this relief to the refugees under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 (13 of 2025). According to this law, these persecuted minorities who came to India on or before 31 December 2024 will be granted Indian citizenship. This important order will provide relief to a large number of people, especially those Hindus from Pakistan, who came to India after 2014 and were worried about their future.

What was said in the order?

According to the gazette notification issued by the Home Ministry, 'Minority communities of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan - Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who were forced to take refuge in India due to religious persecution or fear of it and entered the country without valid documents on or before 31 December 2024, will be exempted from the rule of having a valid passport and visa.'

What are the rules for citizens of Nepal and Bhutan?

The order makes it clear that citizens of Nepal and Bhutan will not need a passport and visa to travel to or stay in India, provided they enter India through the border route. This arrangement will continue as before. However, if a Nepali or Bhutanese citizen comes to India from China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan, it will be mandatory for him to have a valid passport.

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Similarly, Indian citizens also do not need a passport or visa to travel to and from India through Nepal or Bhutan border, but if they return to India from any country other than Nepal or Bhutan (except China, Macau, Hong Kong and Pakistan), they will have to show a valid passport. At the same time, Indian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel, who are entering or leaving India on duty, and their family members (if they are traveling with government transport) will not need a passport or visa.

अफगानिस्तान के बघलान प्रांत में बारिश के बाद अचानक आई बाढ़ में शुक्रवार को कम से कम 50 लोगों की मौत हो गई. बघलान में प्राकृतिक आपदा प्रबंधन के प्रांतीय निदेशक इदायतुल्ला हमदर्द ने बताया कि बाढ़ से घरों और संपत्तियों को भी नुकसान पहुंचा है. उन्होंने कहा कि बाढ़ आने के बाद से अनेक लोग लापता हैं, जिससे मृतक संख्या बढ़ने की आशंका है.

प्राकृतिक आपदा प्रबंधन मंत्रालय के प्रवक्ता अब्दुल्ला जानान सैक ने कहा कि बाढ़ का असर राजधानी काबुल पर भी पड़ा है. उन्होंने बताया कि बचाव टीम भोजन और अन्य सहायता भी पहुंचा रही हैं. सैक ने कहा कि अधिकारियों का पूरा ध्यान बचाव अभियान पर है और वह हताहतों की संख्या तथा बाढ़ से हुए नुकसान के बारे में बाद में सटीक जानकारी दे पाएंगे.

पिछले माह भी देश में भारी बारिश और बाढ़ से जुड़ी घटनाओं में कम से कम 70 लोगों की मौत हो गई थी तथा लगभग 2000 घर, तीन मस्जिदें और चार स्कूल क्षतिग्रस्त हो गए थे. सैक ने बताया कि हजारों लोगों को मानवीय सहायता की जरूरत है.