Pakistan strikes Afghan targets; Taliban vows response as tensions spike

Pakistan launched airstrikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan on September 24, 2026, killing at least four civilians, citing self-defense against drone attacks. The Afghan Taliban government condemned the strikes and promised an appropriate response. Both nations deny the other's allegations and tensions remain high despite months of relative calm.

Quick Facts

Pakistani airstrikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan
Four civilians killed in airstrikes
Pakistan cited self-defense against drone attacks
Taliban denied launching drones on September 23
Taliban promised an appropriate response

Pakistan conducted airstrikes on 10 locations across Afghanistan on Thursday, September 24, 2026, killing at least four civilians according to Afghan Taliban government officials. The strikes targeted Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost provinces. Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar defended the operation as a precision self-defense measure, stating the targeted sites were used to store and launch drones, some of which had conducted cross-border attacks into Pakistani territory. Tarar said the strikes were "deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate, and strictly limited to identified military objectives."

The Afghan Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the airstrikes as "brutal aggression" and "reckless, careless, and hostile," promising an "appropriate response." Taliban officials denied launching drone attacks into Pakistan on September 23, the date Pakistan cited as justification for the strikes. In Kandahar city, a resident reported hearing a jet, followed by a large explosion and fire. Witnesses in Khost said civilian homes were damaged, with local residents stating there were no military personnel or bases in the area struck.

This escalation marks the second wave of Pakistani airstrikes in a week and follows a September 18 attack on a Pakistani police facility that killed at least 31 people. A group linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has waged a violent campaign against the Pakistani state, claimed responsibility for that attack. Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban government of harboring TTP fighters who stage cross-border attacks; Afghanistan's Taliban government denies the accusation and characterizes militancy as Pakistan's internal problem.

The two nations, former allies, had maintained relative calm for three months following their worst fighting in years in February 2026. International mediation by China, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia has attempted to broker a lasting peace but has not produced a resolution. According to the UN mission Unama, cross-border armed violence killed at least 499 civilians and wounded 1,216 others between October 2025 and June 2026. Pakistan said it would respond to any further "provocative act" from Afghanistan.

Pakistan's military conducted an earlier airstrike on Afghan territory on Monday, which Islamabad said killed 28 militants in the border region. Afghan officials reported three civilians were killed in that strike in Kunar province's Nurgal district, a discrepancy in casualty claims consistent with previous incidents. In March 2026, a Pakistani airstrike on Kabul killed over 269 people; Pakistan said it targeted military installations and terrorist infrastructure, while Afghanistan stated it hit a drug rehabilitation center.

Topics

Politics World Conflict

#TTP #Taliban #military conflict #cross-border #Afghanistan #civilians killed #Pakistan #escalation #airstrike #Drone attacks

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Why This Matters

Cross-border military escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan threatens the three-month relative calm achieved since February 2026 and complicates international mediation efforts by China, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Civilian casualty claims remain disputed, with Pakistan and Afghanistan offering conflicting accounts of strikes—a pattern consistent with previous incidents (March 2026 Kabul operation resulted in over 269 deaths, with Pakistan claiming military targets and Afghanistan citing civilian infrastructure). The UN mission Unama documented 499 civilian deaths and 1,216 wounded from cross-border violence between October 2025 and June 2026; renewed escalation may increase displacement, disrupt trade routes, and strain fragile regional security arrangements.

Timeline & Sources

Feb 1, 2026

Wire

Worst fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan in years

Mar 1, 2026

Wire

Pakistani airstrike on Kabul kills over 269 people; Pakistan claims it targeted military installations, Afghanistan says it hit drug rehabilitation center

Sep 24, 2026

Wire

Monday: Pakistan conducts airstrike on Afghan border region; claims 28 militants killed; Afghanistan reports 3 civilians killed in Kunar province

Sep 24, 2026

Wire

Pakistan conducts airstrikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan; Afghanistan reports 4 civilians killed in Kandahar, Paktia, Khost provinces; Taliban promises appropriate response