Politics Pakistan attacks targets on Afghan border
According to Afghan reports, 18 people have been killed in new attacks by the Pakistani air force in the border region of Afghanistan. While Afghan state media, citing local officials, spoke of exclusively civilian casualties, the other side's account went in a different direction: the attacks were aimed at seven terrorist camps and hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban and the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS), according to the Pakistani Ministry of Information. It was in retaliation for recent suicide attacks near the capital Islamabad, among other places.
22.02.2026, 02:29
22.02.2026, 09:03
SDA
According to Islamabad, Pakistan has clear evidence that these acts of terrorism were carried out on behalf of the leaders of both terrorist groups in Afghanistan. The statements by both sides could not initially be independently verified.
While the Pakistani military remained silent on the location of the attacks, Afghan government representatives stated that residential areas in the provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika had been hit. The Taliban-led Ministry of Defense condemned the airstrikes - and threatened an "appropriate and well-considered response".
Peace talks failed to bring a sustainable solution
Attacks by the Pakistani Taliban in particular on Pakistani security forces and state facilities have been causing massive tensions between the neighboring countries for months. In the fall of last year, there were brief military clashes on the border. Pakistan's government also ordered airstrikes on targets in Afghanistan. It accuses the Taliban in Afghanistan of providing protection to Pakistani Taliban fighters. The leadership in Kabul denies this.
Peace negotiations mediated by the Gulf Emirate of Qatar and Turkey failed to bring about a lasting solution to the conflict. New tensions were then triggered at the beginning of February by an attack on a Shiite community center near Islamabad, in which 36 people died. IS claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan blamed an Afghan as the mastermind.
