Explanation

Pakistan stated its airstrikes targeted militant camps and hideouts linked to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and ISIS–Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), which it accused of launching attacks inside Pakistan from Afghan soil. Islamabad described these actions as “intelligence-based, selective operations” and a “retributive response” to a surge in cross-border terror attacks within Pakistan, including a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad in early February and a 21 February attack on a checkpoint that killed 11 soldiers and a child. TTP Safe Havens: Pakistan accused the Afghan Taliban government of allowing the TTP to use Afghan territory as a safe haven to plot and execute attacks in Pakistan. Retaliation: The strikes were framed as a response to a “series of suicide bombings” that took place in Pakistan throughout February 2026. Failure of Deterrence: Pakistani officials, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, warned in early February that action would be taken if the Taliban failed to prevent TTP militants from using Afghanistan to target Pakistan. Pakistan labelled its airstrikes “Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq” (Righteous Fury) and officially declared a state of “open war” with the TTP and its supporters in Afghanistan. The strikes targeted locations in Khost, Paktika, Nangarhar, and Kabul.