Media: Afghan Air Force Attacks Pakistani Nuclear Facility

The Afghan Air Force attacked a nuclear facility in Pakistan and a military base in the Abbottabad area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, RBC reports, citing the Afghan television channel Ariana News.

The channel reports "hundreds of dead and wounded." According to the channel, the victims were taken to the hospital.

According to the channel, the target was a nuclear test site. The channel also reported a strike on the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), located in Kakul. This is the main training center of the Pakistani ground forces, responsible for the training and education of officers.

The Afghan Ministry of Defense previously confirmed the strikes on Pakistani military bases. The ministry reported that airstrikes targeted a military camp near the city of Faisalabad in Islamabad, an army district in Nowshera, a military base in Jamrud, and targets in Abbottabad. The latter is home to the PMA.

The targets were attacked in retaliation for strikes on Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia carried out the previous day, the Afghan Ministry of Defense added.

Following the Taliban's return to power in 2021, border conflicts erupted between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Armed clashes in the border area resumed on February 24. Two days later, Afghan forces launched operations against Pakistan in Khost, Paktia, Nuristan, and several other districts. There were casualties on both sides.

On the evening of February 26, Afghanistan launched a military operation against Pakistan along the entire Durand Line in response to Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory. On the night of February 27, a powerful explosion rocked Kabul.

According to TOLOnews, Afghanistan shot down a Pakistani aircraft that had entered its airspace. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif immediately declared "open war" on the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Amid the escalation, the Russian Foreign Ministry called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to return to the negotiating table to resolve all differences through political and diplomatic means. Adviser to the Foreign Minister Zamir Kabulov emphasized that Moscow is ready to mediate a settlement between the two countries. Direct military clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan do not bode well, the Kremlin believes.

Moscow is "closely monitoring" the situation, said Dmitry Peskov, Russian presidential press secretary.