Pakistan conducted massive airstrikes targeting Taliban positions across Afghanistan:

- Kandahar
- Paktika
- Khost
- Nangarhar

Several Afghan Taliban drone compounds and headquarters were targeted.

Pakistan will surely avenge the blood of each and every one of its martyrs. pic.twitter.com/EiJ4yBlCTP

— Zard si Gana (@ZardSi) September 24, 2026

The operation, part of what Pakistan calls "Operation Ghazab lil-Haq" (Righteous Fury), came in response to what Islamabad described as a "cowardly" cross-border drone incursion by the Afghan Taliban regime on September 23.

🎯 Strikes Hit 10 Targets

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that precision aerial and drone strikes were conducted on 10 locations used for launching and storing drones, describing the action as a "deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate" response strictly limited to identified military objectives.

"Pakistan's air defense systems detected, tracked, and destroyed all intruding drones before they could reach any intended target," Tarar stated, adding that the strikes were conducted under Pakistan's right to self-defense.

📍 Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost Hit

Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed strikes on Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost provinces, claiming that "four civilians were martyred in this criminal act of aggression" and vowing an "appropriate response".

A resident of Kandahar, where Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada resides, told AFP they heard a jet followed by a large explosion and saw fire in the city center. Reports also indicated that a compound associated with Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban, was among the targets in Kandahar.

⚔️ Background: Drone Incursion Sparked Response

The strikes followed Pakistan's claim that 8 drones were launched from Afghan territory into Pakistani airspace on September 23. Pakistani air defense systems intercepted all drones — four near the Torkham border and four in mountainous areas near Kohat.

Pakistan's Information Minister condemned the alleged incursion as "a flagrant violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and "a serious and unacceptable act of aggression".

Afghanistan's Taliban government denied launching any drones across the border, accusing Pakistan of using the allegation to justify attacks inside Afghan territory.

💢 Vow to Avenge Martyrs

Pakistan has made clear its determination to respond decisively to threats emanating from Afghan soil. The operation follows years of Pakistani concerns over terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan, particularly those linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

"Pakistan will continue to defend its territorial integrity and protect lives and properties of its citizens against any externally sponsored, sheltered and abetted threat by terrorist proxies," Tarar stated.

The strikes represent a significant escalation in Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions, marking the second attack inside Afghanistan in four days after a period of relative quiet following a March ceasefire.

September 18: Kohat Mosque Massacre

On Friday, September 18, 2026, a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a mosque inside the old Police Lines compound in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers . Eight gunmen then stormed the compound, triggering a fierce gunbattle that lasted approximately 20 hours .

The attack resulted in the martyrdom of at least 24 people, including 17 police personnel and 7 civilians, with 88 others injured . Among the martyred were SP Traffic Akbar Shinwari and Dr. Israel Orakzai, head of the paediatric department at DHQ Hospital Kohat . Security forces killed all eight attackers during the clearance operation .

The Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, a faction linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and led by Afghanistan-based commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, claimed responsibility .

September 19: Taliban Threatens 'Crushing Response'

Following the Kohat attack, Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting condemned the Afghan Taliban regime for actively sponsoring terrorism. The Ministry described it as "reprehensible" that Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid had the audacity to threaten Pakistan with a "crushing response" while his regime sponsors terrorism in Pakistan .

September 21: Pakistani Airstrikes on Afghan Soil

On Monday, September 21, Pakistani fighter jets carried out airstrikes on what officials described as "terrorist hubs" in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar and Paktika provinces . Pakistan's Information Ministry stated that 28 terrorists, including multiple suicide bombers, were killed in the strikes, which were based on credible intelligence .

Afghan authorities rejected the claim, with Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid reporting that three civilians were killed and four injured in Nurgal district, Kunar province . Mujahid condemned the "aggression" and vowed an "appropriate response" .

September 23: Eight Afghan Drones Intercepted

On Wednesday, September 23, Pakistan's air defense system detected, tracked, and shot down eight drones that entered Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan . Four drones were intercepted near the Torkham border, while four others were brought down in mountainous areas near Kohat .

Security sources stated that the incident was "evidence of direct support for terrorist groups by Afghanistan's Taliban authorities" . The Afghan Taliban also opened unprovoked fire on Pakistani border posts in the Kurram sector, targeting them with heavy weapons and mortars. Pakistani forces responded with artillery fire, forcing the Afghan Taliban to abandon several posts and flee .

September 24: Precision Strikes on 10 Drone Launch Sites

Early Thursday, September 24, Pakistan announced precision aerial and drone strikes on 10 locations inside Afghanistan that it said were being used to launch or store drones . Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that Pakistan exercised its right to self-defense and that the strikes were "deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate", strictly limited to military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks .

The strikes targeted Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost provinces . Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that four civilians were killed and warned that the attacks would be met with an "appropriate response" . AFP reported that a strike hit Kandahar city, historically the Taliban's headquarters, with a resident reporting a powerful explosion and fire .

International Condemnation and Mediation at Risk

The UN Security Council issued a strong condemnation of the Kohat attack, calling it "heinous and cowardly" and demanding accountability for the "perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors" . The Council urged all countries to cooperate with Pakistan in holding those responsible accountable .

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, speaking at the OIC Contact Group on Afghanistan at the UN General Assembly, stressed the need for "concrete and verifiable action" to prevent Afghan soil from being used for terrorism . He highlighted the presence of more than two dozen anti-Pakistani militant groups in Afghanistan .

The escalation threatens to derail mediation efforts by China, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to broker a lasting peace between Kabul and Islamabad .

Pakistan's Position: No Tolerance for Cross-Border Attacks

Information Minister Tarar made Pakistan's position unequivocal: "Pakistan will neither accept nor tolerate any attacks launched from Afghan territory, whether by terrorist groups or by the Afghan Taliban regime itself" . He called on Afghanistan to immediately cease all hostile activities and take effective action against terrorist organizations operating from its soil .

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