Pakistan-Afghanistan mediation stalls as drone strikes and airstrikes escalate

September 29, 2026 at 08:14 PM2 min

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

Pakistan and Afghanistan have exchanged drone strikes and airstrikes following a September 18 mosque attack in Kohat that killed at least 31 people. The escalation has derailed Turkish and Qatari mediation efforts, with Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhunzada refusing to meet Turkey's intelligence chief. Pakistan's kinetic response marks a break from its cautious approach since October last year.

Key Facts

A September 18 suicide attack on a mosque in Kohat, Pakistan, killed at least 31 people, including 16 police personnel, and injured over 100.
Pakistan launched airstrikes on September 21 against alleged militant positions in Afghanistan's Paktika and Kunar provinces, claiming 28 terrorists killed.
Afghanistan's Taliban government launched drones against Pakistan on September 23, with Pakistani authorities saying eight were downed by air defenses.
Pakistan conducted a second round of airstrikes on September 24, targeting 10 locations in Afghanistan in response to the drone incursions.
Turkey's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin arrived in Islamabad on September 17 for mediation, but Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhunzada refused to meet him in Kandahar.

Escalating Cross-Border Strikes

The current flare-up began with a terrorist attack on a mosque in Kohat on September 18, which killed at least 31 people, including 16 police personnel, and injured over 100. The Hafiz Gul Bahadur-led Ittehad ul Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP) claimed responsibility for the attack, and Pakistan retaliated with airstrikes on September 21 against alleged IMP and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) positions in Paktika and Kunar provinces. Pakistan claimed to have killed 28 terrorists in those strikes. In a departure from previous engagements, the Taliban government of Afghanistan launched drones against Pakistan from its territory in the early hours of September 23. Pakistani authorities reported that eight of the drones were downed by air defenses, and the incursions caused no casualties or damage. Islamabad conducted fresh air raids on September 24, targeting 10 different locations in Afghanistan, with Pakistan's information minister confirming the strikes were a response to the drone incursions.

Failed Mediation Efforts

Turkey's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin arrived in Islamabad on September 17, a day before the Kohat attack, as part of Turkey's effort to mediate a long-term peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Kabul had already shown reluctance toward Turkish mediation when Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhunzada refused to see Kalin in Kandahar, reportedly calling him 'Westernized.' Pakistan's identification of one of the suicide bombers as an Afghan national further sealed the fate of ongoing peace efforts by Turkey and Qatar.

Shift in Pakistan's Approach

Pakistan's kinetic responses to terrorist attacks linked to safe havens in Afghanistan mark a break from its cautious approach since October last year. While Islamabad has previously alleged Afghan connections to terrorist attacks, its kinetic responses were sparse and cautious. The current escalation, including two rounds of airstrikes and the downing of Afghan drones, signals a more aggressive posture.