Afghan Taliban forces targeted “several points” in neighboring Pakistan, Afghanistan’s defense ministry said on Saturday, days after Pakistani aircraft carried out aerial bombardment inside Afghanistan.

Taliban officials described the strikes as retaliation for Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory earlier this week, which allegedly targeted hideouts of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

In a significant escalation of tensions, Afghan Taliban forces launched strikes on Pakistani border positions, Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry announced on Saturday. The attacks, which the ministry described as targeting “several points beyond the hypothetical line,