The Pakistani Air Force carried out air strikes in the early hours of Sunday (22 February 2026) on several targets in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Paktika and Nangarhar, including Barmal, Argun, Khogyani, Bahsud and Ghani Khel districts. F-16 and JF-17 Thunder fighter planes were used in these attacks, in which at least eight places including a madrassa were targeted. According to Afghan media Tolo News, the attacks killed dozens of people, including women and children, while Pakistan estimated the number of deaths at 23.
Taliban government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty, saying the attacks were carried out on innocent civilians and that the Pakistani military was trying to hide its security weaknesses. He talked about the right to retaliate and indicated to react at the right time. Senior officials in Kabul and Kandahar have called emergency meetings to discuss the situation, where further strategies are being decided.
Pakistan’s claim
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that these were intelligence-based precision strikes, in which seven camps of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Fitnah al Khawarij and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) were destroyed. The actions were taken in response to recent suicide attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur and Bannu, which Pakistan blames on terrorists operating from Afghanistan. Pakistan has repeatedly demanded Afghan authorities to stop terrorist activities in its territory.
increasing tension on the border
These attacks near the Durand Line are again straining Afghan-Pakistan relations, which had improved slightly after the October 2025 clashes. The Taliban has lodged a protest against the airspace violation, while Pakistan has stated that the safety of its citizens is a priority. If the situation worsens, regional stability may be affected.