Why Pakistan Attacked Afghanistan ? Explaination

VoM News Desk | February 22, 2026 | 11:42 AM IST | Breaking News, Politics, World | Follow on Google News

Why Pakistan Attacked Afghanistan ? Explaination

Pakistan said early Sunday it carried out cross-border strikes targeting hideouts of Pakistani militants along the Afghanistan border, blaming them for a recent surge in deadly attacks inside the country. Islamabad did not specify the exact locations of the operations or provide detailed operational information.

In Kabul, Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes were conducted inside Afghan territory, targeting areas in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces. He alleged that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed and wounded. Mujahid accused Pakistan’s military of launching the strikes to compensate for what he described as internal security weaknesses.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the military conducted “intelligence-based, selective operations” against seven camps belonging to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates. He added that an affiliate of the Islamic State group was also targeted in the border region.

Retaliation After Deadly Attacks

The strikes followed a series of deadly attacks in Pakistan’s northwest. In Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a security post, killing 11 soldiers and a child. Authorities said the attacker was an Afghan national.

Hours before the border strikes, another suicide bombing targeted a security convoy in Bannu district, killing two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel. Earlier this month, a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad killed 31 worshippers. Pakistan has alleged that the attacks were carried out on the direction of Afghanistan-based leadership.

Tarar said Pakistan possesses “conclusive evidence” linking the recent attacks to militants operating from Afghan territory. He reiterated that Islamabad has repeatedly urged Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to prevent terror groups from using Afghan soil to launch operations inside Pakistan.

Strained Bilateral Relations

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in terror violence in recent years, largely attributed to the TTP and Baloch separatist groups. The TTP, while separate from Afghanistan’s Taliban, is considered closely allied with them. Islamabad accuses the group of operating from Afghanistan — allegations denied by both the TTP and the Taliban administration in Kabul.

Relations between the two neighboring countries have remained tense since deadly border clashes in October. A Qatar-mediated ceasefire has largely held, but diplomatic efforts, including talks in Istanbul, have failed to yield a formal agreement.

The latest cross-border operations signal a further escalation in tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, raising concerns about broader regional instability.

VoM News Desk

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