Dozens Killed, Injured During Pakistan Airstrikes in Afghanistan; Kabul Condemns Action

New Delhi/Islamabad/Kabul: Pakistan’s military conducted a series of airstrikes inside Afghanistan early on Sunday, Feb 22, targeting what Islamabad described as militant hideouts along the shared border, multiple news agencies reported. 

Afghan authorities say the strikes resulted in significant civilian casualties, marking one of the most serious escalations in tensions between the neighbouring nations in recent months. 

According to the Taliban-run government in Kabul, air raids struck residential areas in Nangarhar Province and Paktika Province, including homes and a religious school, killing at least 17 Afghan civilians and injuring more than a dozen others, including women and children. Afghan officials and local media described scenes of devastation, with rescue workers sifting through rubble in the hard-hit districts. 

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Islamabad had conducted the air operation, stating that it was an “intelligence-based and selective targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts” associated with the Tehrik‑e‑Taliban Pakistan and its affiliates near the border. He linked the action to a recent surge in militant attacks inside Pakistan that have killed security personnel and civilians in the northwest, including suicide bombings in the run-up to and during the holy month of Ramadan. 

The Afghan government strongly condemned the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and accused Pakistan of bombing civilian areas. 

Taliban Defence Ministry representatives warned that Kabul would respond “appropriately” if further violations occurred. Afghan officials have demanded that the international community intervene to pressure Pakistan over the incident. 

The attack has further strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul at a time when both sides were already locked in a bitter dispute over cross-border militancy.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of allowing anti-Pakistan militant groups to use Afghan territory as a safe haven, allegations Kabul rejects. 

Regional security analysts warn that the latest cross-border airstrikes could heighten tensions across South Asia and undermine fragile security arrangements along the disputed frontier. With both capitals maintaining firm positions and no immediate diplomatic de-escalation in sight, the risk of further confrontations remains elevated.