Heavy Fire at Durand Line Following Pakistani Airstrikes

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached a dangerous peak as of Thursday, February 26, 2026. Following targeted airstrikes by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) over the weekend, direct military skirmishes erupted along multiple sectors of the border on Tuesday evening.

The Border Clashes (February 24–25)

Heavy exchanges of fire, involving the use of light and heavy weaponry, were reported across the 2,600-km Durand Line:

• Sectors Involved: Firing occurred in the Torkham and Tirah sub-sectors, specifically in areas including Bazar Zakhakhel, Waragha, Maro Sar, and Shako.
• The “Unprovoked” Dispute: * Pakistan’s Stance: Prime Minister’s spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi stated that Afghan Taliban forces initiated “unprovoked firing.” He warned that any further provocation would be met “immediately and severely.”
  • Afghanistan’s Stance: Taliban officials claimed their personnel were on routine patrols in Achin and Durbaba districts when they came under fire from Pakistani positions, asserting their actions were purely defensive.
• Casualties: While no immediate casualties were reported from the Tuesday border exchanges, both militaries remain on high alert.

Weekend Airstrikes: The Catalyst

The border violence is a direct retaliation to the February 21–22 airstrikes conducted by Pakistan in the Afghan provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika:

• Pakistan’s Claim: Islamabad states the “intelligence-based selective operations” targeted seven camps belonging to the TTP (Fitna al-Khawarij) and ISKP, killing over 80 militants. The strikes were a response to recent terror attacks in Islamabad and Bajaur.
• UNAMA : The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) claimed that at least 13 civilians (including women and children) were killed and seven injured in Nangarhar. Afghan Taliban officials put the death toll higher, at 18 civilians.

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Broad Security Surge: 34 Militants Killed

Amidst the border tension, the ISPR announced on Wednesday, February 25, that Pakistani security forces killed 34 militants in a series of “high-tempo” operations within Pakistan:

• KP Operations: 26 militants were killed in engagements in North Waziristan, Lakki Marwat, and Bannu. One neutralized militant was identified as an Afghan national attempting to infiltrate the border.
• Balochistan Raid: 8 militants belonging to an insurgent group (Fitna al-Hindustan) were killed in the Zhob district.

Current Diplomatic Status

The relationship between Islamabad and Kabul has deteriorated to its lowest point since the October 2025 clashes. The Taliban’s Ministry of Tribal and Border Affairs has instructed frontier forces to “defend every inch of Afghanistan,” while Pakistan has reiterated its resolve to target militant sanctuaries regardless of borders if the TTP is not reined in.