Overview

• Pakistani intelligence sources told dpa that two late‑Thursday strikes in Kabul hit a vehicle and a guesthouse, allegedly aiming at TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud.
• The Taliban said an explosion was heard in the capital as authorities opened an investigation, and Afghan outlet Tolonews reported heavy blasts and drone noises.
• No independent confirmation has emerged on casualties or Mehsud’s fate, with some Pakistani media claiming he was killed and Tolo TV citing an audio message attributed to him denying he was targeted.
• Afghanistan’s defense ministry accused Pakistan of violating its airspace, while Pakistan maintains the Taliban harbor TTP fighters, a charge Kabul rejects.
• Former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad called the reported Kabul strikes a major escalation and warned of risks, as separate reports noted earlier Pakistani jet strikes in Paktika with no confirmed casualties.