Pakistan conducts airstrikes against targets in Afghanistan

On September 24, 2026, the Pakistani government confirmed that its military forces conducted a series of airstrikes and drone attacks against targets within Afghanistan. The operation reportedly struck 10 locations involved in the storage and deployment of unmanned aerial systems. Witnesses in Kandahar, the stronghold of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, reported hearing aircraft followed by loud explosions and seeing flames in the city center. Airstrikes were also reported in the Khost province.

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that the strikes were a retaliatory measure for the violation of national sovereignty, specifically citing the infiltration of 23 drones launched from Afghan territory. Islamabad has long accused the Taliban-led administration of allowing armed groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to use Afghan soil as a base for cross-border attacks. The Taliban government in Kabul has consistently denied these allegations, claiming it does not host such militants.

While the Pakistani government has framed the operation as a defensive response to protect its territorial integrity, the scale of the attacks on the second-largest Afghan city marks a significant escalation in regional tensions. Afghan military and government authorities did not provide an immediate official response following the strikes, and there have been no further announcements regarding potential diplomatic or military follow-ups.