Afghanistan launched large-scale military operations against Pakistani military posts along the Durand Line on Thursday, February 26, 2026, according to a statement from Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. The operations are in response to recent Pakistani strikes within Afghanistan, which Pakistan claims targeted militant hideouts.
Pakistan’s Information Ministry confirmed that Afghanistan initiated firing at numerous points along the border. Pakistani security forces responded “immediately and effectively,” the ministry stated, alleging that Afghan forces suffered casualties and military equipment was destroyed. Pakistan further claimed that 22 Afghan security personnel were killed in the counter-offensive.
Mujahid, posting on X (formerly Twitter), stated the operations targeted Pakistani military units along the Durand Line. He claimed that Afghan forces had captured two military posts in the Mashin Naw region of the Dora Baba district in Nangarhar province, three posts in the Goshte Anargi area, and two posts in the Doklam area of the Nari district in Kunar province. The Afghan Defense Ministry added that operations were continuing along the border in Khost, Paktia, and Nuristan provinces, among others.
According to Mujahid, Afghan forces have seized a total of 15 enemy positions, killing numerous soldiers and capturing others.
The escalation follows Pakistani airstrikes on February 24th, which Pakistan’s Information Ministry described as targeting seven militant camps. Pakistan asserted these strikes were in response to cross-border attacks, including a suicide bombing in the Bajaur district on Tuesday that killed 11 Pakistani security personnel and one child, an attack claimed by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistan stated it possessed “conclusive evidence” linking the attacks to militants operating from Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities condemned the Pakistani strikes as a “blatant violation of national sovereignty” and a breach of international law, stating an “appropriate and measured response will be taken at a suitable time.” The Afghan Foreign Ministry also summoned the Pakistani ambassador to lodge a formal protest.
Pakistan’s Information Ministry reported that Afghanistan opened fire on multiple points along the border, prompting a response from Pakistani security forces. The ministry stated that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure the country’s territorial integrity and the safety of its citizens.
The Pakistani government accused the Taliban regime of initiating unprovoked fire along the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistani authorities reported destroying two Afghan control posts in the Chitral region and responding with full force to attacks in Bajaur and Chakwal.
Prior to the recent escalation, Pakistan had urged the Taliban to take “substantive action” against militants operating within Afghanistan, a request Pakistan claims went unheeded. Following the Pakistani strikes, the Afghan Red Crescent reported 18 deaths and numerous injuries. Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, previously stated that approximately 70 militants had been killed in operations along the Afghan border.
