Pakistan launches airstrikes across three Afghan provinces after alleged drone incursions

Strikes across three Afghan provinces

Pakistan carried out precision aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan on Thursday, 24 September 2026. According to Afghan and Pakistani government statements, the bombardment hit targets across Kandahar in the south, as well as Paktia and Khost provinces in the east. In Kandahar, the base of Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, local residents reported the sound of jet engines followed by a heavy blast and fire. In Paktia province, governor spokesperson Mohammad Rasool Ahmadi stated that Pakistani aircraft bombed the 203 Mansouri Corps of the Afghan Armed Forces. In the southeastern province of Khost, governor spokesperson Mustaghfir Gurbaz confirmed strikes across several areas of the district of Gurbuz, reporting structural damage to residential buildings.

Disputed targets and civilian toll

The strikes caused immediate disputes between Kabul and Islamabad regarding civilian casualties and targeted sites. Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that the aerial bombardments killed four civilians across the affected provinces, calling the operation an act of aggression.

“These shameless acts of aggression and attacks by the Pakistani military regime will be met with an appropriate response.”

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar maintained that the operation targeted military infrastructure linked directly to attempted cross-border operations.

“The strikes were deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate and strictly limited to identified military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks against Pakistan.”

Eyewitnesses in Khost, including homeowner Salamat Khan, stated that damaged properties housed ordinary civilians without military or insurgent personnel present.

Drone incursions and cross-border escalation

Islamabad stated that the strikes were retaliation for cross-border drone incursions detected on Wednesday, 23 September 2026. The Pakistani Ministry of Information reported that air defense batteries tracked and destroyed the intruding drones before they could reach intended facilities. Pakistani authorities reported that between eight and 23 drones crossed the frontier alongside artillery shelling after border guards stopped an infiltration attempt. Afghan officials denied launching drones into Pakistani airspace. The exchange followed earlier strikes on Monday in Kunar province, where Islamabad reported 28 militants killed while Afghan officials and the United Nations reported three civilian fatalities.

Diplomatic fallout and regional security

The aerial operations ended three months of relative calm between the two neighboring states. Tensions resurfaced after an 18 September 2026 attack on a police compound mosque in northwestern Pakistan, which killed at least 24 people according to Pakistani authorities, and 31 according to AFP reporting. A faction linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for that police facility assault. Following Thursday's strikes, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Pakistani chargé d'affaires in Kabul to deliver a formal protest. Regional powers including China, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have engaged in mediation efforts to de-escalate cross-border clashes. Farzana Shaikh, an associate fellow at Chatham House, noted that Kabul fears cracking down on Pakistani Taliban groups could cause fighters to defect to Islamic State Khorasan Province.