On the night of Saturday, February 21, 2026 (into early February 22), Pakistani fighter jets and drones conducted multiple airstrikes targeting locations along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
Kabul 24: Pakistan’s military described the operations as “intelligence-based, selective targeting” of seven camps and hideouts belonging to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, also referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij) and affiliates, including links to Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP).
The strikes were framed as a direct response to a series of recent suicide bombings inside Pakistan, including a deadly attack on a Shia mosque (Imam Bargah) in Islamabad that killed dozens, as well as incidents in Bajaur and Bannu during the early days of Ramadan.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, along with other officials, stated that the actions targeted militant infrastructure used to plan and launch cross-border attacks.
Reports from Pakistani sources claimed successful hits on TTP elements, with some unverified claims of militant commanders and fighters killed in districts such as Barmal and Arghun in Paktika province.
The strikes primarily affected Afghanistan’s eastern border provinces of Paktika and Nangarhar. In Paktika, a religious school (madrasa) in the Barmal district was reportedly hit by a drone strike, resulting in significant damage. Images and accounts circulating on social media and Afghan outlets described torn and burned Qurans and religious texts amid the rubble, sparking outrage over perceived desecration.
Attacks extended to districts in Nangarhar, including Khogyani, Behsud (Bihsud), and Ghani Khel (Ghani Khil), where civilian homes and areas were reportedly affected.Afghan authorities, including government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, strongly condemned the incursions as aggression against civilians.
They reported dozens of people martyred and wounded, including women and children, with search efforts continuing under rubble in some locations. One report mentioned 17 deaths in a single house in Behsud district, many of them children and teenagers.
The Afghan side rejected Pakistan’s claims of targeting only militants, accusing Islamabad of compensating for its own security failures by attacking Afghan soil.In a sharp reaction, Akif Muhajir, spokesperson for the Ministry of Virtue Promotion and Vice Prevention (Amr bil Maroof) of the Islamic Emirate, posted on X: “The torn and desecrated Qurans in the Barmal school will certainly not go unanswered. Someone who cannot secure their own safety should not blame others.
They must know that this matter will end very hardly for them.”This statement echoes the Islamic Emirate’s firm stance on defending sovereignty and territorial integrity, with warnings of consequences for repeated violations.
Tensions along the Durand Line have escalated in recent months amid mutual accusations over harboring militants, with previous border clashes and airstrikes (including in late 2025) already causing casualties on both sides.No independent verification of exact casualty figures or damage was immediately available, as access to remote border areas remains limited.
The international community has expressed concern over the escalation, though major organizations have yet to issue detailed responses. The incident risks further straining already fragile bilateral relations between Pakistan and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
