Pakistan Claims Cross-Border Strikes on Militant Targets in Afghanistan

Pakistan announced on Sunday (February 22, 2026) that it carried out intelligence-based strikes on seven terrorist camps and hideouts inside Afghanistan. The military said the targets belonged to the Pakistani Taliban (referred to as Khwarij) and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). The strikes were described as “selective targeting” in response to a series of recent suicide bombings, including attacks during Ramadan.

The Pakistani Defense Ministry stated it had “conclusive evidence” linking the attacks to militants operating from Afghan territory under instructions from their Afghanistan-based leadership. Recent incidents cited include a bombing at a Shi'ite mosque in Islamabad and violence in the northwestern border districts of Bajaur and Bannu. In Bannu on Saturday, a suicide bomber targeted a security forces convoy, triggering a gun battle that killed five militants and two soldiers.

This marks a sharp escalation in tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghan government. It comes just days after Kabul released three Pakistani soldiers in a Saudi-mediated move aimed at de-escalating months of border clashes along the rugged 2,600-km frontier. Border crossings have repeatedly closed due to such tensions, severely disrupting trade and movement.

Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have consistently denied allowing militants to use Afghan soil to launch attacks into Pakistan. Reuters was unable to immediately obtain comment from Kabul.

Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering Pakistani Taliban fighters and ISKP operatives responsible for cross-border attacks. A fragile ceasefire was agreed upon in October after dozens were killed in clashes, but accusations and incidents have continued. The latest strikes follow this pattern of retaliation and counter-accusation that has strained bilateral ties for years.