Taliban Launches Offensive on Border with Pakistan

The Taliban has launched an offensive on Pakistani military bases and facilities at several points along the border.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the offensive was in response to repeated border violations by the Pakistani military, according to Al Arabiya.

According to an official statement from Kabul, Afghan forces managed to capture more than 15 Pakistani outposts within two hours. Dozens of Pakistani soldiers are reported to have been killed, some of whose bodies were transported to Kunar province.

The Afghan side also reported that there were wounded and captured Pakistani soldiers, while there is currently no information about casualties among Afghan forces.

BREAKING:

The Afghan Taliban declare that they are launching a large-scale offensive against Pakistan.

Heavy clashes are now taken place along the entire boarder of the two countries. pic.twitter.com/0s6VNkHQVy

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 26, 2026

The Pakistani Ministry of Information confirmed the clashes, stating that Afghanistan had opened “unprovoked fire” in several locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Islamabad emphasized that the attack was met with an “immediate and effective response” from the Pakistani army. Military operations are currently ongoing in Kunar province and several other border regions.

Pakistan’s attacks on the Taliban

The current escalation was preceded by night air strikes by Pakistan on the Afghan provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika last Sunday. According to the UN mission in Afghanistan, at least 13 civilians were killed in those strikes. The Taliban government reported 18 deaths, refuting Pakistan’s claim that more than 80 militants were killed during the operation.

Relations between the countries deteriorated significantly after clashes in October last year, in which more than 70 people from both sides were killed. Since then, land border crossings have remained largely closed. Despite the efforts of international mediators, including Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, several rounds of negotiations have failed to bring about a lasting peace.