Pakistan Confirms Calibrated Airstrikes in Afghanistan, Claims 22 Militants Killed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Information on Thursday confirmed that the Pakistan airstrikes in Afghanistan were “well-planned and calibrated” operations by the country’s armed forces against terrorist hideouts, saying initial reports put the number of militants killed at 22.

The ministry said the strikes hit terrorist camps and hideouts at two locations belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij, Fitna al-Hindustan and their affiliates. It described the action as part of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, Pakistan’s ongoing counterterrorism campaign against militant networks operating from across the Afghan border.

What the Pakistan airstrikes in Afghanistan targeted

According to the statement, the targets were selected on the basis of credible intelligence and struck by aircraft and drones. “Targets were destroyed with precision,” the ministry said, adding that large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored at the hideouts were also destroyed.

Fitna al-Khawarij is the term the state uses for terrorists of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Fitna al-Hindustan is the designation used for Balochistan-based militant groups.

The ministry said maximum precautions were taken to avoid collateral damage. “Pakistan has always strived for the maintenance of peace and stability in the region. However, the safety and security of our citizens remains our foremost priority,” it said, describing Afghanistan as a hub of terrorism and adding that the threat to Pakistan emanated from there.

Two different accounts of the casualties

Kabul gave a sharply different account of what happened. The Afghan Taliban said the strikes hit houses in Kunar and Helmand provinces and killed civilians, including women and children. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the action, saying: “We condemn this act as an aggression and crime in violation of all accepted principles.”

The Afghan side earlier said at least 11 people were killed in the strikes, while later accounts from Kabul put the death toll at 22. Neither side’s figures could be independently verified.

The strikes came a week after Pakistan carried out precision aerial and drone strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan in response to attempted drone attacks launched from Afghan territory. On September 24, Information Minister Attar Tarar described that earlier action as a “deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate” response after Pakistan intercepted eight drones that had entered its airspace from Afghanistan. Security sources said four drones were brought down near the Torkham border and four more in mountainous areas near Kohat.

What the confirmation signals

The ministry said the counterterrorism campaign Ghazab lil-Haq, conducted under the vision of Azm-e-Istehkam by the security forces and law enforcement agencies, would continue at full pace to “wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism”.

Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February 2026, months after the two countries agreed a ceasefire in October 2025 following clashes at several border points. Despite multiple rounds of talks, Islamabad and Kabul have yet to bridge their differences, and the issue of militant groups operating from Afghan soil remains the main point of contention.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to stop its territory being used by militant groups to carry out attacks in Pakistan, while the Taliban government denies the charge and calls militancy Pakistan’s internal problem.

How many people were killed in the Pakistan airstrikes in Afghanistan?

Pakistan says initial reports indicate 22 terrorists were killed. Kabul disputes this and says civilians died. The figures could not be independently verified.

Where did the strikes take place?

The Pakistani ministry said the strikes targeted two locations in areas under the control of the Afghan Taliban regime. Kabul said houses were hit in Kunar and Helmand provinces.

What is Operation Ghazab lil-Haq?

It is Pakistan’s ongoing counterterrorism campaign, launched in February 2026 under the vision of Azm-e-Istehkam, aimed at militant networks that Islamabad says operate from Afghanistan.

Why did Pakistan strike Afghanistan?

Islamabad says it acted against militant hideouts after a rise in cross-border terrorist attacks, including attempted drone attacks launched from Afghan territory a week earlier.