KANDAHAR — The Taliban have intensified security measures in Kandahar province following a deadly airstrike on Thursday, local sources told Amu, adding that they have bolstered their presence around the provincial capital and established multiple checkpoints along the Spin Boldak–Kandahar route.
At the newly established checkpoints, Taliban forces are thoroughly inspecting individuals crossing into Afghanistan from Pakistan. Sources said individuals lacking identification documents are being detained.
The heightened security comes in the wake of an airstrike that reportedly targeted a gathering of members from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Movement. According to sources, the militants had vacated the area before the strike occurred.
The strike took place in Kandahar, a symbolic stronghold of Taliban power and home to their reclusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. Though the Taliban have denied it was an airstrike—claiming the blast was caused by unexploded ordnance—sources indicate that the attack resulted in at least 12 fatalities.
No group has claimed responsibility for the strike. However, Pakistani officials have previously signaled that military operations within Afghanistan were possible in response to TTP activity.
While the Haqqani Network has long been linked to the TTP, the apparent expansion of the group’s operations into Kandahar reflects a concerning shift. Analysts suggest that the Taliban’s enduring ties with the TTP have hindered their ability to contain the group, further straining already tense relations between Kabul and Islamabad.
“There are many issues and problems in Afghanistan. The TTP is one of them. Controlling it is not always easy or possible,” said Tahir Khan, a Pakistani journalist.
This marks the first reported airstrike in Kandahar since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, occurring at a time of heightened tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan over militant activity along the border.
