Afghanistan blames Pakistan for killing 20+ civilians in airstrikes
Shafaq News- Kabul/ Islamabad
Afghanistan on Sunday accused Pakistan of killing 25 civilians in airstrikes on a house in eastern Nangarhar province after Islamabad acknowledged cross-border operations against groups it alleges were planning attacks inside Pakistan.
In a statement carried by local media, Nangarhar police spokesperson Sayed Tayyeb Hammad said the strikes hit residential areas, causing civilian casualties, while the Defense Ministry condemned the action as a breach of Afghan airspace and international law, holding the Pakistani military responsible and warning of a response “at a suitable time.”
IEA Ministry of National Defense's Statement Regarding Violation Afghanistan Airspace Through Pakistan Military RegimeFollowing previous acts of aggression, Pakistani military regime has once again conducted airstrikes in various civilian areas of... pic.twitter.com/e7vNuSRIkT
— د ملي دفاع وزارت - وزارت دفاع ملی (@MoDAfghanistan2) February 22, 2026
In Islamabad, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that seven sites described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS-K camps near the border were struck in retaliation for recent attacks in Pakistan that authorities attribute to militants operating from Afghan territory. He did not disclose precise locations.
Press Release 21 February, 2026In the aftermath of recent suicide bombing incidents in Pakistan, including Imam Bargah at Islamabad, one each in Bajaur and Bannu followed by another incident today in Bannu during the holy month of Ramzan, Pakistan has conclusive evidence that…
— Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (@MoIB_Official) February 21, 2026
The operation followed escalating violence in Pakistan’s northwest, including a suicide attack on a security convoy in Bannu that killed two soldiers and a vehicle bombing at a compound in Bajaur that left 11 soldiers and a child dead. Pakistani officials identified the Bajaur attacker as an Afghan national and asserted that evidence links recent assaults, including a mosque bombing in Islamabad that killed 31 worshippers, to leaders based in Afghanistan.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since October 2025, when border clashes left dozens dead following explosions in Kabul that Afghan officials attributed to Pakistan.
