As per reports, on Thursday, Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirates Forces launched an attack on Pakistani forces in the border areas in what the Taliban government described as a retaliation for Pakistan’s earlier airstrikes. During Thursday’s attack on Pakistani forces, the Taliban claimed to have killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and captured several alive.”In response to repeated violations by the Pakistani military, large-scale offensive operations were launched against Pakistani military bases and military installations,” said Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Afghanistan also claimed to have captured Pakistan’s military bases and posts along the Durand Line; however, Pakistan has refuted the claim.
Some local media reports claimed that Afghanistan shot down a Pakistani aircraft that entered its airspace. Hours after Afghanistan attacked Pakistani forces on Thursday, the sound of explosions and aircraft in Kabul were reported in the early hours of Friday.
Attacks on Pakistani forces were retaliatory: Taliban
In a post on X, spokesperson Zabihullah said that Pakistan bombed areas of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia. “The cowardly Pakistani military has carried out airstrikes in certain areas of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia; fortunately, there have been no reported casualties,” Zabihullah wrote on Friday.
The cowardly Pakistani military has carried out airstrikes in certain areas of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia; fortunately, there have been no reported casualties.
— Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) February 26, 2026
The Afghanistan’s Military of National Defence said in a detailed press release that the operation against Pakistani forces began at 8:00 pm on Thursday, after Pakistan’s alleged violation of Afghan territory, which resulted in the death of women and children. “A few days ago, the Pakistani military circles, with great audacity, violated Afghan territory, breached our borders, and martyred women and children here,” the press release said.
The Ministry said that the Afghan forces carried out coordinated counterattacks in eastern and southeastern sectors across the Durand Line near Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, Kunar and Nuristan provinces. It further stated that the attack went on for four hours, during which two Pakistani military bases and 19 posts were captured, and Pakistani soldiers from four additional posts fled. It added that the Afghan forces captured dozens of light and heavy weapons, ammunition, military supplies and a large military transport vehicle, and destroyed a Pakistani tank.
“In these retaliatory operations along the Durand Line, a total of 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed,” the statement said, adding that some bodies of Pakistani soldiers were taken into Afghanistan. Revealing Afghan casualties, the Ministry said that eight of its people were killed and 11 were injured. As per the statement, the attack was ceased at midnight on the direction of the Chief of General Staff after “assigned objectives were achieved.” Afghan authorities evacuated a refugee camp near the Torkham border crossing after several refugees were wounded and 13 civilians, including women and children, were killed.
Rejecting the figures released by the Taliban, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said two Pakistani soldiers had been killed and three wounded, while 36 Afghan fighters were reported dead.
Pakistan blames India for its hostile relations with Afghanistan
Amid the Pakistan-Afghanistan fiasco, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif found a way to blame India, again. Asif accused the Taliban government of turning Afghanistan into a ‘colony of India’. He said that Afghanistan has become an exporter of terrorism under the Taliban regime, which he describes as a proxy of India.
“After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was expected that there would be peace in Afghanistan and that the Taliban would focus on the interests of the Afghan people and peace in the region. However, the Taliban turned Afghanistan into a colony of India. They gathered all the terrorists of the world in Afghanistan and began exporting terrorism,” Asif wrote on X.
“Pakistan made every effort to keep the situation normal through direct means and through friendly countries. It engaged in full-fledged diplomacy. But the Taliban became a proxy for India. Today, when attempts are being made to target Pakistan with aggression, Alhamdulillah, our forces are giving a decisive response at this time,” he added, and threatened Afghanistan with an open war.
“Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is an open war between us and you. Now it will be “Dama Dam Mast Qalandar.” Pakistan’s army did not come from across the seas. We are your neighbours; we know your ins and outs. Allahu Akbar,” Asif stated.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari warned Afghanistan, saying that Pakistan would not compromise on peace and territorial integrity.
🇵🇰 “Pakistan will not compromise on peace & territorial integrity. Our armed forces’ response is comprehensive & decisive. Those who mistake our peace for weakness will face a strong response — and no one will be beyond reach.”
~ President Asif Ali Zardari— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) February 26, 2026
“Pakistan will not compromise on peace & territorial integrity. Our armed forces’ response is comprehensive & decisive. Those who mistake our peace for weakness will face a strong response — and no one will be beyond reach,” Zardari wrote on X.
Notably, the recent military escalations between Pakistan and Afghanistan come after the two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in October 2025 in Doha, brokered by Qatar and Turkiye. However, the countries have been engaging in skirmishes since the ceasefire agreement.
