Pakistan strikes Taliban targets in Afghanistan after deadly police attack

September 25, 2026 at 12:02 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Pakistan launched air strikes on Taliban targets in Afghanistan's Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces, killing four civilians according to the Taliban. The strikes followed a deadly attack on a police facility in Pakistan on 18 September that killed at least 31 people. Pakistan said the strikes hit 10 military targets, while the Taliban promised an 'appropriate response'.

Key Facts

The Taliban said four civilians were killed in Pakistani air strikes on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces.
Pakistan's military said its forces struck 10 targets in Afghanistan, 'strictly limited to identified military objectives'.
The strikes followed an attack on a police facility in north-western Pakistan on 18 September that killed at least 31 people.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called the strikes 'reckless, careless, and hostile' and warned of 'adverse consequences for the Pakistani military'.
Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the strikes as 'deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate'.

The Strikes

Pakistan launched air strikes on Taliban targets in Afghanistan's Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces, according to Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Pakistan's military said its forces struck 10 targets in Afghanistan, without specifying locations, and described the strikes as 'strictly limited to identified military objectives'. In Paktia, an official said jets bombed the Afghan Armed Forces' 203 Mansouri Corps, controlled by the Taliban, with no casualty information provided. In Khost, a spokesman said houses were damaged but no casualties were reported. A resident in Kandahar told AFP they heard a jet, followed by a large explosion and then a fire in the city.

Casualties and Damage

The Taliban said four civilians were killed in the strikes, but did not provide a breakdown by province. In Khost, local residents Abdullah and Salamat Khan told Reuters there were no military bases or personnel in the area, only homes of ordinary civilians. Abdullah said the strikes happened around midnight, causing panic among residents, but no one was killed in his village. Salamat Khan said 'there is no military base here, nor are there any military personnel', adding 'there are only the homes of ordinary civilians'.

Escalating Tensions

The strikes were the second wave of Pakistani air strikes on Afghan territory in the past week. They followed an attack on a mosque at a police compound in north-western Pakistan on 18 September that killed at least 31 people, according to AFP. Pakistan earlier this week said it launched air strikes in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, killing 28 militants. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid labelled the latest attack as 'reckless, careless, and hostile' and said it 'will have adverse consequences for the Pakistani military'. Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes were 'deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate, and strictly limited to identified military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks against Pakistan'.