Afghanistan condemns Pakistan airstrikes, vows ‘calculated response’

Kabul warns of retaliation after Pakistan targets alleged TTP camps; Islamabad cites border security concerns

February 22, 2026

Pakistan says strikes targeted TTP and Islamic State-linked camps

Pakistan strikes TTP camps; Kabul alleges civilian casualties

Afghanistan has strongly condemned recent airstrikes carried out by Pakistan along the volatile border, describing them as a “clear violation” of its sovereignty and international law.

Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes hit residential homes and a religious seminary in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, resulting in the deaths and injuries of dozens of civilians, including women and children.

“Last night, they bombed our civilian compatriots, martyring and wounding dozens of people, including women and children,” Mujahid wrote on X.

Kabul warns of response

The Afghan Ministry of National Defence said safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and protecting its citizens was both a “religious and national responsibility.” The ministry warned that a calculated and appropriate response would be delivered at a time of its choosing.

In a sharply worded statement, officials accused the Pakistani military of repeated aggression, alleging that attacks on civilian targets and religious centres reflected intelligence and security failures.

Pakistan cites militant threat

Pakistan, however, defended the strikes, saying they were “intelligence-based and selective” operations targeting militant camps along the border.

According to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, the airstrikes hit seven camps allegedly linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned militant outfit blamed for several deadly attacks inside Pakistan.

Tarar said the operations were aimed at groups responsible for recent violence, including a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad that killed 31 worshippers. He added that an affiliate of the Islamic State was also among the targets.

Pakistan has previously conducted similar strikes inside Afghanistan, including operations reported in October last year.

Rising border tensions

The latest airstrikes come amid escalating violence in Pakistan’s border regions. Recent attacks include a suicide bombing in Bajaur district that killed 11 soldiers and a child, and another assault in Bannu district that claimed the lives of two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel.

Islamabad maintains that militants responsible for these attacks are operating from Afghan territory. Pakistan has repeatedly urged Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government and the international community to ensure that Afghan soil is not used for cross-border terrorism, in line with commitments under the Doha agreement.

The situation marks a sharp deterioration in already fragile ties between the two neighbours, raising concerns of further military escalation along the disputed frontier.

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