Afghanistan–Pakistan war

On 21 February 2026, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched airstrikes over the provinces of Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost in Afghanistan. Pakistan said they were targeting seven militant camps belonging to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS–K) across the three provinces, which Pakistan blamed on the Taliban of Afghanistan.

However, Taliban officials in Afghanistan said the airstrikes targeted civilian targets and religious centers, and 18 civilians died in Nangarhar province. Pakistani officials denied targeting civilians in Afghanistan. The Express Tribune reported, using military sources, that 80 militants were killed. Shayesteh Jan Ahadi, former head of the Paktia Provincial Council, said that Pakistani airstrikes in many districts were very widespread and powerful. He also said that these attacks may have caused many deaths, but the Taliban were stopping photos and videos of the targeted areas from being shared. Taliban-led Afghanistan strongly criticized the attacks and said they would respond at the right time.

On 26 February 2026, Afghanistan launched a counterattack against Pakistan. In response, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab Lil Haq ("Righteous Fury") against the Taliban.

Related pages
2025 Afghanistan–Pakistan conflict
Afghanistan–Pakistan clashes
2025 India–Pakistan conflict

References

Category:2020s in Afghanistan
Category:2020s in Pakistan
Category:Wars involving Pakistan
Category:February 2026 events