After Pakistan airstrikes in Afghanistan, Taliban warns retaliation 'definitely' coming

Kabul has consistently denied Pakistani accusations that Afghan territory is being used by militant groups to stage attacks across the border.

• Taliban threatens retaliation after Pakistan's Afghan airstrikes
• Pakistan says strikes hit TTP and ISKP camps in Afghanistan
• 28 TTP fighters killed in Pakistani airstrikes

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Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership has reportedly warned of retaliation following Pakistan’s cross-border airstrikes. As per sources cited by CNN-News18, Kabul views the action as a violation of its sovereignty and is weighing its response.

"We are assessing the Pakistan strikes," stated one of the sources close to the Taliban leadership, further adding that authorities were evaluating the extent of the damage. Accusing Islamabad of breaching Afghan airspace, the source said, "The Taliban has the right to retaliate".

Though no immediate military action has been announced, the warning was pointed.

"We will strike back at the perfect time," the source, as cited in the CNN-News18 report, confirmed that senior leaders had convened urgent meetings in Kabul and Kandahar to deliberate on next steps. "It is too early to say something definitive, but Kabul will definitely retaliate," further noted the source.

The Taliban has also informed mediators, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, alleging that Pakistan violated existing understandings. Kabul has consistently denied Pakistani accusations that Afghan territory is being used by militant groups to stage attacks across the border.

In the wee hours of Sunday, Pakistan said it carried out “intelligence-based, selective targeting” of seven militant camps inside Afghanistan in the early hours of Sunday. In a statement dated February 21, Islamabad said it had "conclusive evidence" that recent suicide attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur and Bannu were directed by “Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers.”

According to Pakistani authorities, the targets included camps linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which the state refers to as “Khwarij” or “Fitna al Khwarij”, as well as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).

According to security sources who spoke to CNN-News18, fighter jets struck suspected TTP hideouts in Paktika, Paktia, Nangarhar, and Khost provinces. In the Barmal district of Paktika, multiple explosions were reported in the Margha area, indicating a coordinated strike. Missiles were also said to have hit the Banusi Madrasa in Bermal, though there was no official confirmation of casualties.

At least 28 TTP fighters were killed, sources said, adding that eight targets were hit overall, including a fresh strike in the Argun district of Paktika. Pakistani officials said F-16 and JF-17 Thunder aircraft were deployed in the operation.

The airstrikes come after a spate of deadly incidents in Pakistan’s northwest. In Bajaur, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a security post, killing 11 soldiers and a child. Hours later, another attack in Bannu left two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, dead.

Pakistan’s military media wing said that during a separate intelligence-based operation in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two security personnel were killed when a vehicle-borne suicide bomber rammed into a convoy. Five militants were killed in the exchange, officials said, adding that the bomber had been intercepted before reaching civilian areas.

The development comes days after Kabul released three Pakistani soldiers in a Saudi-mediated effort to ease months of border tensions.

The two countries share a 2,600-km frontier that has frequently witnessed clashes, forcing key crossings to shut and disrupting trade and movement. Dozens were killed in fighting in October before both sides agreed to a fragile ceasefire.

Despite that truce, Islamabad has continued to accuse Kabul of harbouring militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban authorities continue to reject this charge, though.