Pakistan says 22 terrorists killed in Afghanistan strikes amid Taliban row

Pakistan said it struck TTP hideouts in Afghanistan and killed 22 terrorists. The Taliban called it aggression, saying civilians died and tensions will deepen.Islamabad,Oct 1, 2026 11:20 ISTPakistan said on Thursday that it killed at least 22 terrorists in airstrikes in Afghanistan, describing the action as part of a campaign against militant hideouts across the border. Afghanistan's Taliban government, however, said the strikes killed nine Afghan civilians, including women and children, and injured 11 others.The strikes come amid a sharp escalation in already strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with both sides trading allegations over militant sanctuaries, cross-border attacks, airstrikes and border incursions. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration in Kabul of allowing the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied groups to use Afghan territory to plan and carry out attacks inside Pakistan, a charge the Afghan Taliban has rejected.Pakistan's information ministry said the country's security forces carried out "well-planned and calibrated aerial strikes" against the hideouts and safe havens of the banned TTP. It said "selective targeting" of terrorist camps and hideouts at two locations in Afghanistan was carried out on the basis of credible intelligence with "precision and accuracy". "Targets were destroyed with precision and initial reports suggest killing of twenty-two terrorists," the statement said. It added that large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored at the hideouts were also destroyed.The ministry said Pakistan has always strived for the maintenance of peace and stability in the region, but added that "the safety and security of our citizens remains our foremost priority". It alleged that Afghanistan continues to remain a hub of terrorism and that the threat to Pakistan comes from there. "In this context, our action precisely targeted the terrorist hubs. Maximum precautions were taken, and it was ensured that no collateral damage occurs," it said. The statement also said Pakistan's counter-terrorism campaign, Ghazab lil Haq, will continue at full pace to wipe out terrorism from the country. Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a social media post on Thursday that nine Afghan civilians, including women and children, were killed in the strikes, 11 others were injured and three homes were destroyed. He said the strikes were carried out in Chugam in Shultan district of Kunar province and Safar in Garmser district of Helmand province. "We condemn this act as an aggression and crime in violation of all accepted principles," he said.Pakistan has presented the strikes as a targeted operation against TTP hideouts, while the Taliban government in Afghanistan has said civilians were killed and homes were destroyed. The latest exchange has added to tensions between the two neighbours, who remain at odds over the presence of militant groups and attacks across the border. With PTI Inputs- Ends