Taliban defense ministry vows ‘calculated response’ to Pakistani airstrikes

The Taliban’s Ministry of Defense said Sunday that it would deliver a “calculated response at an appropriate time” to Pakistani airstrikes carried out overnight in parts of eastern Afghanistan, as tensions between the two sides escalated sharply.

In a statement, the ministry accused Pakistan of targeting civilian areas and religious sites in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, describing the strikes as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a breach of international law.

“Attacks on civilian targets and religious centers are clear evidence of the intelligence and security failures of the Pakistani army,” the statement said. “Such repeated aggression will never conceal their internal failures.”

The ministry did not provide a precise casualty figure but said “dozens,” including women and children, had been killed. Independent verification of the toll was not immediately possible.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed late Saturday, Feb. 21, that its forces had conducted what it described as “retaliatory” airstrikes against militant targets along Afghanistan’s border. The ministry said the strikes were in response to a series of recent suicide bombings and attacks inside Pakistan, including assaults on a Shiite mosque in Islamabad and incidents in Bajaur and Bannu during Ramadan.

Islamabad said it possessed “credible evidence” that the attacks were carried out by fighters acting under Taliban direction. Pakistani officials said the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad refers to as “Fitna al-Khawarij,” and affiliates of the Islamic State’s Khorasan branch had claimed responsibility.

According to Pakistan, seven camps and hideouts belonging to the TTP and ISIS-K were targeted in what it described as precise and intelligence-based operations.

Local sources in eastern Afghanistan reported that Pakistani aircraft struck areas in the districts of Khogyani, Ghani Khil and Behsud in Nangarhar province, as well as Barmal district in Paktika. Some residents reported damage to residential compounds and a religious school, though detailed casualty assessments remain unclear.

The strikes come amid growing strain between Islamabad and the Taliban. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of failing to prevent militant groups from using Afghanistan’s territory to launch attacks across the border — an allegation Taliban deny.

Islamabad has urged the Taliban to uphold commitments made under the 2020 Doha agreement to prevent Afghanistan’s territory from being used against other countries.

Relations have deteriorated in recent months, following deadly border clashes late last year that led to the closure of key trade crossings and heightened diplomatic tensions. Pakistan has consistently maintained that TTP fighters operate from safe havens inside Afghanistan, while the Taliban insist they do not allow any group to use Afghanistan’s territory to threaten neighboring states.