Pakistan carried out cross-border raids on militant targets inside Afghanistan, killing dozens of people, including children, according to the Afghan Ministry of Defense on Sunday. On the other hand, Islamabad stated that it "launched selective targeting operations based on intelligence information against seven terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to the Pakistani Taliban movement," adding that it also targeted a branch of the "Islamic State" organization. Pakistan accuses the militants, who it said are operating from Afghan territory, of being responsible for a series of recent suicide bombings.

Published on: 02/22/2026 - 07:26 Last updated: 02/22/2026 - 11:53

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In a new escalation between the two neighboring countries, Pakistan announced on Sunday that it had launched strikes on armed groups on the border with Afghanistan, where authorities reported dozens of deaths and injuries, including children.

These strikes are the most violent since the clashes that took place between the two neighboring countries in October, which resulted in the deaths of dozens.

Pakistan said that these strikes were a response to the "recent suicide attacks" it was subjected to, including an attack on a mosque in Islamabad in early February.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Information stated that Pakistan "launched selective targeting operations based on intelligence information against seven terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to the Pakistani Taliban."

The statement, published by Information Minister Atallah Tarar on the X platform, stated that Pakistan also targeted a branch of the "Islamic State" organization.

For its part, the Afghan Ministry of Defense announced "the martyrdom and injury of dozens of innocent civilians, including women and children" as a result of air strikes that targeted a religious school and homes in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.

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An Agence France-Presse correspondent in the Behsud region of Nangarhar state said that residents from various parts of the remote mountainous region joined the rescue teams in one of the villages, using an excavator and shovels to search for bodies under the rubble.

Amin Gul Amin (37 years old), who lives in the area, said, "The people here are ordinary people. The people of this village are our relatives. When the bombing occurred, one of the survivors was screaming for help."

Nangarhar police reported that the bombing began around midnight and targeted three provinces.

Police spokesman Sayed Tayeb Hammad said, "Civilians were killed. There were 23 members of one family in one of the houses. Five wounded were brought out."

Taliban vows "appropriate, thoughtful response"

The Afghan Ministry of Defense announced that it would give an "appropriate and measured response" to the Pakistani strikes.

Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on the X platform on Sunday that Pakistan “bombed our civilian citizens in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, resulting in the martyrdom and injury of dozens of people, including women and children.”

He added, "Pakistani generals are trying to compensate for their country's security weaknesses with these crimes."

Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have escalated since the Taliban authorities regained control of Kabul in 2021. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply, with bloody border clashes occurring in recent months.

France 24/AFP

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