Afghan men search for victims after an overnight Pakistani airstrike hit a residential area in the Girdi Kas village of Bihsud district, Nangarhar province on February 22, 2026. Pakistan said February 22, it launched multiple air strikes targeting militants in neighbouring Afghanistan, where the government reported children were among dozens of people killed and wounded. (Photo by Aimal Zahir / AFP)
At least 20 people have been killed in airstrikes carried out by Pakistan, according to Afghanistan. Earlier, Pakistan had announced that it conducted airstrikes on seven alleged terrorist camps located along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.
The Taliban government of Afghanistan claimed that women and children were among those killed in the attack. According to BBC, the Taliban has warned of retaliatory action against Pakistan’s strikes. In a statement issued by the Taliban government’s Defense Ministry, it was stated that the attacks targeted “civilian areas” in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.
Pakistan said the operation was carried out in response to a recent suicide attack inside its territory. It claimed that it had repeatedly urged the Taliban government in Afghanistan to take action against militant groups operating from Afghan soil but, after seeing no action, decided to act on its own.
Two weeks ago, at least 40 people were killed and more than 160 injured in a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad.
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, relations between the two countries have remained tense.
According to the United Nations mission in Afghanistan, 70 Afghan civilians were killed between October and December due to Pakistani military operations.
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