Pakistan Conducts Airstrikes in Afghanistan, Taliban Disputes Casualty Figures

The Pakistani government announced on September 21, 2026, that airstrikes targeting militant strongholds in eastern Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of at least 28 fighters. The Taliban government in Kabul contested this claim, stating that only three civilians were killed in the strikes. According to the Pakistani Information Ministry, these airstrikes were part of an 'intelligence-driven' operation that involved ground forces selecting targets for the warplanes. This operation followed a series of terrorist attacks attributed to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which seeks to overthrow the Pakistani government and establish an Islamic caliphate similar to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of providing support and safe havens for TTP fighters in the border region. On September 18, a TTP-linked group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing and gun attack on a mosque and police station in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, resulting in 31 deaths and over 100 injuries. Pakistan reiterated its accusations against the Taliban, stating that it would take action unless Kabul implemented measures to dismantle terrorist groups within Afghanistan. Following a shootout with militants that resulted in the deaths of four Pakistani security personnel and two military officers, the airstrikes were conducted, marking the first such action since June. Pakistani officials claimed that the strikes targeted TTP camps and an allied group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, and accused India of colluding with the terrorists. The Pakistani Information Ministry reported that the strikes destroyed three targets, including a training facility for suicide bombers. In response, the Taliban condemned the airstrikes as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, asserting that the attacks targeted empty buildings and an occupied home, killing three family members. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid stated that the strikes were an attempt to distract from Pakistan’s security issues and warned of a potential response from Afghanistan.