Khawaja Asif confirms Pakistan's airstrikes on Kabul

ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has for the first time confirmed that Pakistan conducted airstrikes inside Afghanistan earlier this month, targeting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists in Kabul and other cities.

“They [TTP] are housed over there — nobody can deny that,” Asif told Arab News in an interview. “Their leadership is there, and that is why we went after them when there were strikes in Kabul last week and a couple of other cities.”

His comments mark the first public acknowledgment by a senior Pakistani official of cross-border air operations against militant sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.

Asif revealed that an understanding was reached in Doha, under which Türkiye and Qatar would serve as guarantors to ensure the TTP does not use Afghan soil for attacks in Pakistan. Both sides are expected to meet again in Istanbul on October 25 for follow-up discussions.

“The mechanism of this arrangement will be decided there — how to monitor the activities of the TTP in Afghanistan,” Asif added.

The defense minister said that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan had recently escalated to direct clashes, but both sides have now agreed that the immediate eradication of terrorism is essential for regional peace.

Khawaja Asif said his Afghan counterpart acknowledged that terrorism is the main source of tension and assured that steps would be taken to address it. Both sides have agreed to establish a clear mechanism to resolve existing issues.

He said Pakistan has suffered enormous human and economic losses over the years but expressed hope that peace will now return and that bilateral relations, trade, and transit between Pakistan and Afghanistan will normalise.