Taliban Denies Targeting Its Leader and Confirms Pakistani Airstrikes on Kabul and Kandahar

The spokesperson for the Taliban government, Zabihullah Mujahid, denied the reports about the targeting of the leader of the "Islamic Emirate" in Afghanistan, Hibatullah Akhundzada, confirming that what has been circulated in this regard is "pure lies".
Mujahid added to the Iranian news agency "Tasnim" that "the enemy seeks to achieve a media accomplishment for itself by spreading news about targeting the leadership of the Islamic Emirate," clarifying that the reports indicating the death of Akhundzada are unfounded.

Details of the Airstrikes and Casualties

Despite denying the targeting of the supreme leader, the Taliban confirmed the occurrence of airstrikes carried out by Pakistan on areas in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. The reports indicated that the airstrikes targeted some vital areas, while Akhundzada was not present at the targeted sites at the time of the strikes.
Earlier, platforms on "X" circulated that the airstrikes targeted the Taliban leader, but no independent official confirmation was issued regarding this. Conversely, some sources reported the death of Noor Wali Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, without any official confirmation so far.

Taliban's Response to the Pakistani Airstrikes

The Taliban government announced the initiation of military operations against Pakistani targets along the shared border, considering that these steps are in response to "provocations and repeated violations" by the Pakistani army.
These developments come amid rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, with fears of an escalation of military confrontations along the border between the two countries.