Saturday, February 21, 2026-Pakistan has announced a series of military strikes targeting what it calls terrorist hideouts along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, marking a sharp escalation in its ongoing security campaign against militant groups blamed for recent deadly attacks inside Pakistan.
According to military and government statements, the operations focused on camps and hideouts of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), affiliates of the group Fitna al-Khawarij, and elements of Daesh’s Khorasan Province, with strikes hitting multiple locations in provinces such as Paktika, Nangarhar, and Khost. Pakistani authorities described the actions as intelligence-based, precision targeting carried out in direct response to a surge in suicide bombings and attacks that have claimed dozens of lives in recent weeks.
The latest operations follow a string of high-profile militant assaults on Pakistani soil, including suicide bombings in Bajaur and Bannu, as well as an attack on a mosque in Islamabad that killed dozens — incidents Islamabad attributes to groups operating from Afghan soil.
Pakistani officials assert they have conclusive evidence linking these militants to leadership and support networks based across the border, a claim that has heightened tensions with the Afghan government and complicated diplomatic relations. Islamabad has publicly urged the Afghan authorities, currently led by the Taliban, to crack down on these networks and prevent their use of Afghan territory as safe havens for cross-border violence.
The strikes have drawn mixed reactions in the region. Pakistan maintains they are necessary to safeguard its citizens and prevent further attacks, positioning the operations as part of a broader security imperative.
However, the incursions have also risked worsening relations with Kabul, where officials and local sources have at times reported civilian casualties and condemned foreign military actions on Afghan soil. As both governments navigate fragile ceasefires and ongoing negotiations, these cross-border strikes underscore the deepening security challenges along the Durand Line and the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address militancy that continues to fuel violence on both sides.
0 Comments