Pakistan conducted aerial strikes against militant groups near the Afghan border on Sunday, February 22, 2026, resulting in dozens of casualties, including women and children, according to Afghan authorities. The strikes represent the most significant escalation since deadly clashes between the two neighbors in October.
The Pakistani military stated it targeted seven camps and hideouts belonging to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, based on intelligence. The strikes also targeted a group affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) organization, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Information on X, without specifying the location of these strikes.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Afghan government, asserted on X that Pakistan had “bombarded civilians in the provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika, resulting in dozens of martyrs and wounded, including women, and children.” He accused “Pakistani generals” of attempting to compensate for security weaknesses within their own country through these actions.
In the Bihsud district of Nangarhar province, a bulldozer was observed excavating through rubble in search of victims, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist at the scene. A security source in Afghanistan, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that twelve children and adolescents were among the seventeen people killed in a strike on a house in the district.
The strikes follow a period of increasing tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the Taliban seized control of Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has consistently accused its neighbor of harboring militants who launch attacks on Pakistani territory, allegations the Afghan government denies. Relations have deteriorated significantly in recent months, culminating in armed clashes in mid-October.
Islamabad stated the Sunday morning strikes were a direct response to recent attacks in the northwest of the country, including a suicide bombing on February 6 that killed 40 people during Friday prayers at a Shia mosque in Islamabad. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the mosque attack, which was the deadliest in Islamabad since a 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel that left 60 dead. Pakistan, a predominantly Sunni Muslim nation, has a Shia minority population representing 10 to 15 percent of the population, who have been previously targeted.
The Pakistani government asserted that the Taliban authorities had failed to seize action against militant groups operating from Afghan territory, despite repeated warnings. “Pakistan has always strived to maintain peace and stability in the region, but at the same time, the safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority,” the government stated, calling on the international community to pressure Kabul.
The land border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been closed since mid-October, with limited exceptions for Afghans being repatriated to Pakistan, disrupting trade and the movement of people accustomed to crossing the border. According to a report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) published on February 8, “Over the last three months of 2025, 70 civilians were killed and 478 injured in Afghanistan by actions attributed to Pakistani forces.”
The most violent clashes between the two neighboring countries in October 2025 resulted in the deaths of 47 Afghan civilians, including nine on October 15 in Kabul, according to UNAMA. The report further stated that the number of civilian casualties in cross-border clashes between October 1 and December 31, 2025, “far exceeds the number recorded annually” since 2011.
