Pakistan Launches Dead-of-Night Airstrikes Inside Afghanistan, 28 Militants Killed in Cross-Border Blitz

Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan in the early hours of Sunday, targeting several locations along the Durand Line, according to reports. Pakistani fighter jets reportedly struck suspected hideouts of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Sources said at least 28 TTP militants were killed in the operation, which spanned parts of eastern and southeastern Afghanistan. 

Pakistan Launches Airstrikes In Afghanistan

Pakistani jets reportedly targeted the Barmal district of Paktika province, where residents described hearing a series of explosions. Multiple blasts were reported in quick succession in the Margha area, suggesting a coordinated strike. 

There were laos reports that missiles were launched by an unidentified aircraft at the Banusi Madrasa in Bermal, sparking fears of casualties and structural damage, although officials have yet to confirm the details. 

#BREAKING: 17 Afghan civilians killed as Pakistan Air Force (PAF) conducts airstrikes targets civilian residential areas in Afghanistan’s Ghani Khelo and Garda Samia (Behsud) districts.pic.twitter.com/bDHbOQnVzs

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) February 21, 2026

Information accessed by CNN-News 18 indicated that eight sites were struck during the operation. The airstrikes were not limited to Paktika but also extended to border provinces, including Khost, Paktia, and Nangarhar. Additional reports pointed to anther striked in the Argun area of Paktika. 

According to sources, Pakistan Air Force used F-16 and JF-17 Thunder fighter jets in the operation, targeting what were believed to be Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts along the Durand Line. 

Islamabad linked the strikes to recent suicide attacks, including incidents at an Imam Bargah in Islamabad and assaults in Bajaur and Bannu, which it attributed to groups it calls “Fitna al Khwarij” and their affiliates, as well as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).