By The South Asia Times

Islamabad/Kabul -  Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated sharply after the Pakistan Air Force carried out airstrikes in three Afghan provinces late Saturday night.

The intelligence-led operation, which Pakistani officials described as a “measured response” to a recent surge in cross-border attacks, targeted what they said were militant camps and facilities in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Khost, and Paktika.

A senior Pakistani intelligence source told The South Asia Times that during Saturday night’s airstrikes, the Pakistan Air Force targeted multiple key locations of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants inside Afghanistan.

According to the source, seven major TTP centers in Nangarhar, Paktika, and Khost provinces were destroyed in the intelligence-based operation. More than 80 militants were confirmed killed, with the death toll expected to rise.

The destroyed centers were identified as: New Center No. 1 in Nangarhar, New Center No. 2 in Nangarhar, Khariji Maulvi Abbas Center in Khost, Khariji Islam Center in Nangarhar,  Khariji Ibrahim Center in Nangarhar, Khariji Mullah Rahbar in Paktika, and Khariji Mukhlis Yar in Paktika province.

A senior Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier provided a detailed list of 42 militants he said were killed in the strikes. According to the official, the operation hit multiple locations, including camps in the Khogyani, Ghani Khel, and Behsud districts of Nangarhar; facilities in border areas of Khost province allegedly linked to the Haqqani Network; and the so-called “Camp Al-Jihad” in the Barmal district of Paktika province.

The list of those killed includes individuals said to be affiliated with the TTP, with origins across Pakistan’s former tribal areas and other provinces.

The South Asia Times cross-checked several names from Lower Dir and Khyber districts with local residents, who confirmed that some of the individuals had been living in Afghanistan for years.

Pakistan has long accused the TTP of using Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan -- allegations the Afghan Taliban authorities consistently deny.

Meanwhile, the Taliban’s Defense Ministry confirmed that strikes took place late Saturday night in the Barmal and Urgun districts of Paktika, as well as in Khogyani, Behsud, and Ghani Khel districts of Nangarhar province. However, the ministry denied that TTP hideouts were targeted and claimed that civilians were hit in the strikes. It warned that it would deliver a “necessary and measured response at the appropriate time.”

Afghan state media aired footage from a single location in Behsud district, showing a house reduced to rubble. Taliban officials claimed that 17 members of the same family were killed. No footage from the other reported strike sites has been broadcast on official Afghan media.

Residents in Paktika, Khost, and Nangarhar told The South Asia Times that Taliban forces had cordoned off several areas and were not allowing civilians to enter or record videos.

“Early this morning, we went to Barmal to assist in rescue efforts, but Taliban soldiers stopped us and said only officials were allowed inside,” one resident said on condition of anonymity.

Residents in Khost and Khogyani also reported being barred from approaching the sites until bodies had been removed.

“I saw more than 20 vehicles early in the morning transporting bodies from the area,” a resident in Khogyani said. “Pakistani Taliban members have been living here with their families for several years.”

- Tensions Escalate

The airstrikes mark a significant escalation in already strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul.

Pakistani officials said the operation followed a series of deadly attacks inside Pakistan, including a suicide bombing at an Imam Bargah in Islamabad and assaults in Bajaur and Bannu, which authorities blamed on TTP elements operating from Afghan soil.

“The safety and security of the people of Pakistan comes first,” a Pakistani official said, reiterating demands that Afghan authorities prevent militant groups from using their territory against neighboring countries.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the strikes, accusing Pakistan of attempting to “cover up its internal security failures.”

Security analysts warn that the combination of recent suicide attacks inside Pakistan and cross-border airstrikes could further destabilize the region, raising fears of retaliatory attacks and continued military escalation along the border in the coming days.