Islamabad launched airstrikes on Afghan facilities hours after the Taliban carried out its own “retaliatory” attack.
Multiple explosions rocked the Afghan capital Kabul and several other areas early Friday as Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged military strikes across their volatile border, accusing each other of escalating the conflict.
Islamabad launched Operation Ghazab Lil Haq (“Justice’s Fury”) hours after Afghan forces launched a cross-border attack on Pakistani military positions. Residents of the Afghan capital reported hearing at least three explosions, but officials have not confirmed the exact locations of the explosions.
“Cowardly Pakistani army has carried out airstrikes in Kabul, Kandahar and some areas of Paktia; fortunately, no casualties have been reported,” Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote in X.
Pakistani state broadcaster PTV News shared several videos of the strikes, which it said were military targets. “Major Military Installations.”
An ammunition depot, battalion positions and sector headquarters were destroyed, a Pakistani security source told local media.
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Islamabad said the attacks came after Afghan Taliban forces fired on its border positions late on Thursday, killing two Pakistani soldiers and wounding three others.
Islamic Republic forces have killed dozens of Afghan fighters and destroyed several army posts and armored vehicles, said Musharraf Zaidi, a spokesman for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “Retaliation” operations.
Afghan officials, however, said their military strikes on Thursday were in response to earlier Pakistani airstrikes last week.
The Afghan army claimed to have captured more than a dozen Pakistani army posts and inflicted heavy casualties. “Large Scale Offensive Operations” across several border provinces.
Pakistani officials described the Afghan attack as unprovoked and denied losing any positions, accusing neighbors of targeting civilians.
“Cowardly enemy strikes in the dark of night. Afghan Taliban make despicable attempt to target innocent civilians” Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured X “Serious consequences.”
Heavy exchange of fire was reported in several border zones overnight, prompting the evacuation of civilians and refugee camps on both sides of the border, including near the Torkum crossing.
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— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) February 26, 2026
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have deteriorated sharply amid mutual accusations of militant activities. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, which the Taliban has denied.
The renewed violence poses a major challenge to a ceasefire in October 2025 after several days of border clashes between Kabul and Islamabad that left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. Although an agreement was largely reached, follow-up negotiations failed to produce a formal agreement, causing relations to deteriorate.
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