Pakistan launches cross-border airstrikes in Afghanistan; targets TTP, IS-K camps

Sources cited by Pakistani media said at least 28 TTP fighters were killed in the strikes across eastern and southeastern Afghanistan.

• Pakistan launched airstrikes on TTP and IS in Afghanistan
• Strikes targeted camps in Paktika and Nangarhar provinces
• At least 28 TTP fighters killed in retaliation for recent attacks

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Pakistan, on Sunday, confirmed it had carried out cross-border airstrikes inside Afghanistan, targeting what it described as militant infrastructure linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), following a wave of deadly suicide attacks in the country.

In a statement dated February 21 and released early Sunday, Islamabad said it conducted “intelligence-based, selective targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts” along the border.

The government claimed it had “conclusive evidence” that recent attacks, including bombings in Islamabad, Bajaur and Bannu during Ramzan, were carried out by militants acting on instructions from “their Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers.”

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the operation was aimed at safeguarding national security. "Pakistan has always strived to maintain peace and stability in the region," Tarar said in a post on X, adding that the “safety and security of Pakistani citizens” remained the government’s top priority.

While Islamabad did not officially specify the locations, senior sources cited by CNN-News18 said the strikes targeted Bermal and Argun districts in Paktika province, as well as Khogyani, Bahsod and Ghani Khel districts in Nangarhar province. Additional areas in Paktia and Khost provinces were also reported to have been hit.

Afghan broadcaster TOLO News reported that Pakistani Air Force jets struck a religious seminary in Bermal district and carried out multiple airstrikes in Khogyani. Residents reported hearing successive explosions in the Margha area, suggesting a coordinated operation. Missiles were also said to have hit the Banusi Madrasa in Bermal, though there was no official confirmation of casualties.

Sources cited by Pakistani media said at least 28 TTP fighters were killed. Security officials told CNN-News18 that F-16 and JF-17 Thunder aircraft were deployed and that eight targets were struck, including a fresh hit in Argun district.

Pakistani broadcaster Geo News, quoting the Ministry of Information, said the operation targeted camps of “Fitna al Khwarij”, the term used by the state for the TTP, along with ISKP affiliates, and was carried out “with precision and accuracy.”

The escalation follows a string of attacks 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 assault in Bannu killed two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel. The military also said that during a separate intelligence-based operation in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two security personnel were killed when a vehicle-borne suicide bomber struck a convoy, while five militants were killed in the ensuing exchange.

According to a Reuters report from Karachi, the cross-border strikes mark a sharp rise in tensions between Pakistan and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, coming days after Kabul released three Pakistani soldiers in a Saudi-mediated effort to ease friction following months of border clashes.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of allowing militant groups to operate from Afghan territory. Kabul, however, continues to refute this charge.

Islamabad has urged the interim Afghan government to prevent the use of its soil for attacks against Pakistan and to honour commitments under the Doha Agreement.

Earlier this week, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi reiterated that Pakistan “very legitimately demands that Afghan territory should not be used for terrorism inside Pakistan,” warning that “all options would obviously remain on the table” if the situation persists, according to Pakistani daily Dawn.

The two countries share a 2,600-km frontier that has frequently witnessed clashes, forcing key crossings to close and disrupting trade and travel. Dozens were killed in fighting in October before both sides agreed to a fragile ceasefire. Despite that truce, tensions have continued to simmer, with the latest strikes threatening to further strain already fraught ties.