Pakistan–Afghanistan Conflicts (February 2026) is a military escalation between Pakistan and the Taliban administration in Afghanistan that occurred between 22–27 February 2026. The escalation began on 22 February with aerial strikes by Pakistan against targets on Afghan soil, followed by mutual artillery fire and ground operations along the border.
The conflicts escalated after Pakistan announced it was targeting specific sites in Afghanistan in response to attacks within its territory, and the Afghan administration declared it would respond with retaliatory operations.
Background and Previous Tensions
Security tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified especially since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021, particularly concerning border security and armed group activities. The Pakistani government asserts that elements of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it claims are based on Afghan soil, have launched attacks against Pakistan.
Islamabad has stated it demands concrete steps from the Taliban government against the TTP. The Taliban administration in Afghanistan, however, has stated that the TTP does not operate on its territory.
The central geographical issue in these security disputes is the border between the two countries. The Durand Line is the name given to the 2,640-kilometer border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It functions as the de facto boundary between the two nations; however, it is not officially recognized by Afghanistan. The line was established by British authorities in the 1890s.
The border encompasses Pashtun tribal areas on both sides. Pakistani authorities indicate that the TTP exploits mobility within these regions and uses both sides of the border.
Following attacks in Pakistan in February 2026, military activity along the border increased. On 6 February 2026, a suicide attack targeted the Shia mosque Imam Bargah Khadijah-tul-Kubra in Islamabad, killing at least 36 people.
In the following days, a vehicle-borne explosive attack targeted a security post in the city of Bajaur in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing 11 soldiers and one child. On 21 February 2026, an attack on a security convoy in the city of Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killed two soldiers.
24 February 2026 saw a suicide attack on a checkpoint in the district of Bhakkar in Punjab province, killing two police officers; on the same day, an attack on a police vehicle in the Kohat region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killed at least five police officers and two civilians.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reported that over 100 people have been killed in attacks across the country in recent weeks.
In response to these developments, Pakistan launched aerial strikes against targets on Afghan soil on 22 February 2026.
Attacks of 22 February
Scope and Targeted Areas
Nangarhar Province
The Afghan Ministry of Defense stated that the strikes targeted civilian areas in Nangarhar province. The attacks particularly affected residential areas in the village of Girdi Kas in the Bihsud district.
Following the strikes, reports indicated that homes were destroyed and search operations were underway among the rubble. Local sources stated that the attack targeted a single family, of whom only five of the 23 members survived. Local Taliban spokesperson Sayed Taib Hamd confirmed that 18 members of that family were killed.
Afghan officials also reported that a religious center in the area was targeted. The Afghan Ministry of Defense stated that the strikes hit “a religious school and residential buildings.”
Paktika Province
The strikes also affected Paktika province. Local sources speaking to Tolo News reported that Pakistani warplanes conducted aerial strikes on the Barmal area of Paktika. A guesthouse and a religious school in the districts of Bermal and Urgun were targeted. Local officials and residents stated that these buildings were empty at the time of the attack. Homes in the village of Balish, part of Urgun district, were also reported destroyed.
The Afghan Ministry of Defense confirmed that the attacks in Paktika targeted civilian areas and constituted a violation of Afghanistan’s airspace.
Casualties and Injuries
Afghan Side’s Statements
The Afghan Ministry of Defense stated that in the attacks on Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, “many civilians were killed and injured.”
Mevlevi Fazl Rahman Fayyaz, a representative of the Afghan Red Crescent in the Nangarhar regional office, stated that 18 people were killed and many others injured as a result of Pakistan’s strikes.
Sayed Taib Hamd, a local Taliban spokesperson speaking to the BBC, confirmed that 18 people from one family in Bihsud district of Nangarhar were killed.
Pakistan’s Statements
Pakistan’s Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry claimed in an interview with Geo News that “at least 70 militants were killed” in the aerial strikes. No evidence has been presented to support Chaudhry’s claim.
Pakistan’s state media reported that the death toll had risen to 80, though no official confirmation of this figure was provided. According to a report in Dawn newspaper, 80 people were killed in the strikes.
Pakistan’s Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Danyal Chaudhry stated in his remarks that the operation had “successfully neutralized militants involved in attacks on Pakistani soil” and added that “all necessary measures were taken to protect innocent lives.”
The Afghan side has rejected Pakistan’s claims of high numbers of militants killed. Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that Pakistan’s claim of 70 militants killed was “not consistent with the facts.”
Pakistan’s Official Statements and Nature of the Operation
In a statement on the X platform, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that Pakistan carried out “precision targeting based on intelligence to strike seven terrorist camps and hideouts”. The statement emphasized that the operation was a “retaliatory response”.
Pakistan’s Minister of Information, Attaullah Tarar, stated that the military had conducted “intelligence-based, targeted operations.”
Pakistan authorities stated that the strikes targeted Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), elements designated by Pakistan as Fitna al Khawarij, and affiliated groups. The statement also indicated that members of Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) were among the targets.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that the operation targeted “seven terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to the Pakistan Taliban, known as Fitna al Khawarij (FAK), and affiliated groups, as well as the Islamic State Khorasan Province.”
Pakistan authorities stated that the operation was conducted in response to recent suicide attacks within the country. The Ministry of Information claimed to possess “conclusive evidence” that the recent attacks were directed by leadership based in Afghanistan.
The ministry’s statement indicated that Pakistan expects the interim government in Afghanistan to “fulfill its obligations and prevent its territory from being used by Khawarij and terrorists against Pakistan”. The statement also emphasized that “the security and safety of the Pakistani people come first.”
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari stated that the aerial strikes were based on the “natural right to defend its population against terrorism.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, in a post on X, stated, “The Pakistani people, especially the resilient population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stand firmly alongside our armed forces and security institutions in defending our homeland.” Kundi also declared, “We will not allow forces operating beyond the Afghan border to destabilize our territory.”
The statement further included the assertion that “our sovereignty is non-negotiable, and the people of this country stand shoulder to shoulder with the state to protect it at any cost.”
Pakistan authorities stated that the aerial strikes of 22 February 2026 were linked to recent attacks within the country. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reported that over 100 lives were lost in attacks across Pakistan in recent weeks.
Afghanistan’s Diplomatic and Military Responses
The Afghan Ministry of Defense described the attacks as “a blatant violation of national sovereignty, international law, principles of good neighborliness, and Islamic values.”
The ministry further stated, “We hold the Pakistani military responsible for targeting civilians and religious sites. We will respond appropriately and proportionately when the time comes.” The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kabul to protest the attacks.
The ministry’s statement emphasized that protecting Afghan territory is a “Sharia responsibility” and that Pakistan will be held accountable for the consequences of such attacks.
Border Clashes and Attacks on 24 February 2026
24 February 2026 saw mutual fire exchanges between Pakistani and Afghan forces along the border. The clashes occurred in the Torkham and Tirah border regions. Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, stated that the Afghan Taliban administration had “unprovokedly initiated fire” along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Torkham and Tirah.
Zaidi stated that “Pakistan’s security forces responded immediately and effectively to the fire and will respond promptly and decisively to any further provocation.” Wragha, Maro Sar, Shahkot and Zakhakhel border areas were reported to have experienced artillery and small arms fire.
A Pakistani official stated that there were no casualties on the Pakistani side but reported that five casualties were confirmed on the Afghan side. Taliban official Zabihullah Norani stated that Pakistani forces opened fire on the Shahkot area of Nazyan district in Nangarhar province, that Afghanistan responded in kind, and that the firing had ceased; he added that there were no casualties on the Afghan side.
Attacks in Pakistan
24 February 2026 saw a suicide attack on a security checkpoint in the district of Bhakkar in Punjab province, killing two police officers. Three civilians were injured in the attack, including two health workers from a polio eradication team.
On the same day, an armed attack targeted a police vehicle in the Kohat region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced that at least five police officers and two civilians were killed. Kohat District Police Chief Shehbaz Elahi reported that three others were injured in the attack.
Afghanistan’s Retaliatory Operations on 26 February 2026
Afghanistan’s Statements
Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced on 26 February 2026 that in response to Pakistan’s recent attacks, comprehensive operations had been launched along the recognized border, the Durand Line. Mujahid stated that the operations targeted Pakistani military units. The operations were conducted in the provinces of Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar, Khost, Paktia and Paktika.
The statement claimed that control of 15 Pakistani military posts had been seized. It was also claimed that numerous Pakistani soldiers were killed and some captured during the operations.
Pakistan’s Response and Casualty Claims
In a statement on Pakistan’s Ministry of Information’s X account, it was reported that Afghanistan had opened fire on numerous positions along the border. The statement emphasized that “Pakistan’s security forces responded immediately and effectively,” and claimed that Afghan casualties occurred and military equipment was destroyed.
The statement affirmed that all necessary measures would be taken to safeguard Pakistan’s territorial integrity and citizen security. Pakistan’s Minister of Information, Attaullah Tarar, also stated on his X account that Pakistan would continue to respond to Afghanistan’s retaliation.
Tarar claimed that during the clashes, Pakistan’s military operations resulted in 36 Afghan casualties and many more injured. He also recorded that two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three wounded.
Tarar accused the Afghan government and certain Indian social media accounts of spreading “baseless propaganda.”
Aerial Strikes and Escalation on 27 February 2026
Aerial Strikes on Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia and Border Clashes
27 February 2026 saw reports that Pakistan conducted early morning aerial strikes on the Afghan cities of Kabul and Kandahar. A Taliban spokesperson stated that Pakistan had bombed Kabul, Kandahar, and at least one target in Paktia province.
At approximately 01:00 AST on 27 February, multiple explosions occurred in central Kabul. According to a report by Pakistan’s state television PTV News citing security sources, the Pakistani military allegedly destroyed several military installations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.
Security sources reported that in the Kandahar airstrikes, a munitions depot and logistics base were destroyed.
On the same day, gunfire and bombardment were reported near Torkham border crossing, one of the key transit points between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Residents near Torkham were reportedly asked to evacuate the area for security reasons. It was announced that procedures for repatriating Afghan nationals had been suspended and border crossings closed due to the clashes.
27 February 2026 saw Pakistan’s Ministry of Information announce that Afghan Taliban forces had opened fire on Pakistan’s Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur regions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Taliban spokesperson claimed that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 19 military posts captured. The Taliban side also reported that eight Taliban fighters were killed, 11 were injured, and 13 civilians were injured in Nangarhar province.
On the morning of 27 February, the Afghan Taliban administration announced it had conducted aerial strikes against certain military targets inside Pakistan. A Pakistani military official confirmed that drones belonging to the Taliban had targeted three locations.
The targeted locations were:
- The artillery school in Nowshera,
- The vicinity of a military academy in Abbottabad,
- The vicinity of a primary school in Swabi.
Pakistan stated that the drones were neutralized and no casualties occurred.
At a press briefing held on 27 February 2026 by Pakistan’s military media wing, it was reported that 274 Taliban elements were killed, over 400 were injured, and 115 tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery systems were destroyed.
The same statement indicated that 22 different military targets were struck, 83 Taliban positions were destroyed, 17 positions were captured, 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed, and 27 were wounded.
“Open War” Statement and Political Declarations
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s Statements
Following reports of explosions in Kabul and ongoing border clashes, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared that an “open war” now existed between Pakistan and the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
In his statement on X, Asif said:
“After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was expected that peace would return to Afghanistan and that the Taliban would focus on the interests of the Afghan people and regional stability. Instead, the Taliban turned Afghanistan into India’s colony. They gathered terrorists from around the world in Afghanistan and began exporting terrorism. They deprived their own people of fundamental human rights. They stripped women of the rights granted to them by Islam.
Pakistan has made every effort, directly and through friendly nations, to restore normalcy. We pursued intensive diplomacy. But the Taliban have become India’s proxy. Now, as they attempt to make Pakistan the target of aggression, with God’s permission, our armed forces are delivering a firm response. In the past, Pakistan’s role has been positive. For 50 years we hosted five million Afghans. Today, hundreds of thousands of Afghans still make their livelihood on our soil. Our patience has reached its limit. There is now open war between us. There will be a strong response. Pakistan’s army is not a distant power. We are your neighbors; we know you and your strength.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Statements
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that Pakistan has always sought peace but that its armed forces will respond decisively to any aggression. In his official statement, Sharif affirmed that the Pakistani people and armed forces are prepared to defend the country’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In his statement, he used the phrase: “There will be no slackness in defending the homeland, and every act of aggression will be met with a fitting response.”
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari’s Statements
In a post on X, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari stated that Pakistan’s response was “comprehensive and resolute,” and used the phrase “Pakistan will not compromise on peace or territorial integrity.”
He further stated, “Those who mistake our peace for weakness will face a powerful response, and no one will be exempt from this response.”
International Reactions (27 February 2026)
United Nations
On 27 February 2026, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over developments in the border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In a statement by his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, Guterres was reported to be closely monitoring reports of cross-border clashes between Afghan and Pakistani security forces.
Guterres called on the parties to comply with their obligations under international law, particularly international humanitarian law, and stressed the need to protect civilians. He also urged both sides to continue resolving their differences through diplomacy.
Iran
On 27 February 2026, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their differences through dialogue and the principles of good neighborliness. Araghchi emphasized that the month of Ramadan is a time for self-discipline and Islamic solidarity, and stated that Iran is ready to provide necessary support to facilitate constructive dialogue, deepen mutual understanding, and encourage cooperation between Kabul and Islamabad.
Russia
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zaharova expressed concern over the escalation of armed clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Zaharova stated, “We are concerned about the sharp escalation of armed clashes between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, involving regular army units, air forces and heavy weaponry,” and added that casualties have been reported on both sides.
Russia called on both parties to “abandon this dangerous conflict” and return to negotiations to resolve all disputes through political and diplomatic means. Russia also stated it is prepared to mediate if requested by either side.
India
On 27 February 2026, Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India “strongly condemned” Pakistan’s aerial strikes on Afghan territory. Jaiswal noted that the attacks occurred during Ramadan and resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children.
In his statement, he used the phrase: “This is another attempt by Pakistan to externalize its internal failures.”
China
On 27 February 2026, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning expressed “deep concern” over the clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Mao Ning stated that both countries must show restraint, resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation, and return to a ceasefire as soon as possible.
China stated it is engaged in mediation efforts through its own channels and is ready to play a constructive role in reducing tensions. China also called for the protection of the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in both countries.
