Pakistan launched cross-border strikes inside Afghanistan under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq following what officials described as unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces along multiple sectors of the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.
According to the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the retaliatory action targeted terrorist hideouts on the night of February 21 and 22 after heavy exchanges along the frontier.
Why Did Pakistan Attack Afghanistan?
Pakistan says the strikes were a response to:
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Unprovoked firing across 15 border sectors
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Attacks at 53 different locations
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Safe havens for militant groups inside Afghanistan
The heaviest exchanges were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s border districts, including Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur.
Pakistan’s recent strikes against targets in Afghanistan were not sudden or without context. They came after months of rising attacks inside Pakistan that Islamabad says were carried out by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants operating from Afghan soil under the protection or patronage of the Afghan Taliban regime.
The situation reached a breaking point on October 8, when a major attack claimed the lives of Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Arif, Major Tayyab Rahat, and 17 soldiers. For Pakistan’s security leadership, this attack was not just another incident — it was a direct challenge that demanded a response.
The October Response
On October 9, 2025, Pakistan launched targeted operations along the Afghan border against TTP hideouts. Shortly afterward, Pakistan’s armed forces carried out strikes on what officials described as concrete militant targets in Kandahar province and the capital, Kabul.
Islamabad maintained that these were precision strikes aimed at terrorist infrastructure, not civilians. The message was clear: attacks originating from across the border would no longer go unanswered.
However, instead of reducing tensions, the situation escalated further.
Border Clashes and Rising Casualties
On October 12, Pakistan accused Afghan Taliban forces and India-backed militants of launching unprovoked attacks along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border. According to ISPR, 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred in the clashes, while around 200 Afghan Taliban fighters and affiliated militants were killed in Pakistan’s retaliatory action.
This marked one of the most serious phases of direct confrontation since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul.
Ceasefire in Doha — But No Lasting Peace
Following days of intense fighting, a temporary ceasefire was reached on October 19 in Doha at the request of the Afghan Taliban. The understanding was meant to prevent further escalation.
Later, four days of negotiations were held in Istanbul to develop a long-term mechanism for implementing the ceasefire. But the talks did not succeed.
Pakistani officials pointed to repeated shifts in the Taliban’s stance as a major obstacle. The core issue remained unresolved: Pakistan demanded firm action against TTP elements operating from Afghan territory, while Kabul avoided taking full responsibility.
Without a clear enforcement mechanism, the ceasefire remained fragile.
Continued Attacks and Growing Distrust
The November 14 attack on Cadet College Wana, which Pakistan says was planned and directed from Afghanistan, further deepened mistrust.
In recent weeks, major incidents in Islamabad, Bajaur, and Bannu were also attributed to Afghanistan-based TTP militants, officially described by Pakistan as “Fitna al-Khawarij.”
Two particularly brutal incidents in February intensified public anger. On February 23, militants allegedly set fire to a Rescue 1122 ambulance carrying injured Federal Constabulary personnel. On February 26, six members of a single family were reportedly burned alive in Balochistan’s Blida area in an attack blamed on “Fitna-e-Hindustan” terrorists.
For Islamabad, these incidents reinforced the belief that assurances from Kabul were not being implemented on the ground.
Is the Afghan Taliban unwilling — or unable — to act against the TTP?
Pakistan’s defence minister has said the country is in “open war” with Afghanistan, after Islamabad launched airstrikes on Kabul as part of a wave of attacks across the country.
“Our patience has now run out,” said Khawaja Muhammad Asif following the attacks.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country’s forces had “the full capability to crush any aggressive ambitions”, vowing that there would be “no compromise” in defending their “beloved homeland”.
DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry announced that Operation Ghazab lil-Haq is ongoing and will continue until its objectives are achieved.
He reiterated that Pakistan’s armed forces are fully prepared on both eastern and western borders and that the country’s sovereignty and security interests will be safeguarded at all costs.
