Pakistan carried out multiple air strikes on Afghanistan overnight, which the Taliban reported killed at least 18 people, including women and children, according to the BBC.
Islamabad said the strikes targeted seven alleged militant camps and hideouts near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, following a series of recent suicide bombings in Pakistan. The Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting described the attacks as “a retributive response” and said they focused on members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), affiliates, and the Islamic State-Khorasan Province.
The Taliban condemned the strikes, saying they hit civilian areas in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces. In Girdi Kas village in Nangarhar’s Bihsud district, a local man, Shahabuddin, told reporters that only five members of his 23-person family survived the attack, while a Taliban spokesman confirmed that 18 people had died. Earlier reports by the BBC indicated around 20 casualties in the area.
In Paktika province, a guesthouse and a religious school in the Bermal and Urgun districts were targeted, but officials and locals told the BBC that the buildings were empty at the time.
The strikes come after a fragile ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan in October 2025, following deadly cross-border clashes. Despite the agreement, sporadic violence has continued along the two countries’ 1,600-mile (2,574 km) mountainous border.
Pakistan accused the Afghan Taliban of failing to act against militants operating from Afghan territory, claiming it had “conclusive evidence” that the attacks in Pakistan were carried out under instructions from leaders in Afghanistan. Recent attacks in Pakistan included a suicide bombing on a Shia mosque in Islamabad and other attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Taliban’s defence ministry condemned the Pakistani strikes as a “blatant violation of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity” and a “clear breach of international law”, warning that an “appropriate and measured response will be taken at a suitable time”. It added that attacks on civilian and religious sites exposed weaknesses in Pakistan’s security and intelligence.
The strikes also came days after Saudi Arabia mediated the release of three Pakistani soldiers who had been captured in Kabul during border clashes in October 2025, underscoring the ongoing tension in the region.
According to the BBC, the strikes highlight the fragile security situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the ongoing challenges in enforcing the ceasefire.
