Pakistan Conducts Airstrikes in Afghanistan, Resulting in Dozens of Casualties

Dozens were killed in Pakistan’s retaliatory airstrikes on Afghanistan following a series of suicide bombings in Pakistan, including a deadly attack on February 6, 2026, at a Shia Mosque in Islamabad that claimed 31 lives, as well as subsequent assaults during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Pakistan confirmed its airstrikes on Sunday, targeting seven militant camps and hideouts in eastern Afghanistan, which it attributed to groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) operating from Afghan soil.

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government condemned the strikes, confirming that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed in the provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika. 

While exact casualty figures remain unverified, Afghan officials vowed an appropriate response.

In a post on X, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had summoned Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul in protest over the military action, stating: “In response to the Pakistani military strikes on Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, which resulted in dozens of civilian casualties, IEA-MoFA summoned the Ambassador of Pakistan in Kabul.”