Pakistan carries out strikes on 10 Afghan locations after drone attacks: Attaullah Tarar
Pakistan carried out “precision” aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan after drones launched from Afghan territory entered Pakistani airspace, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in the early hours of Thursday, describing the strikes as a response to a “deliberate and unlawful incursion”.
“In exercise of its sovereign right to self-defence, Pakistan conducted precision aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan used for launching and storing these drones. The strikes were deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate and strictly limited to identified military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks against Pakistan,” said Tarar in a post on X.
The strikes were in response to drone attacks from Afghanistan. A day earlier, Pakistan’s air defence systems had shot down eight drones after they entered the country’s airspace from Afghanistan. Security sources said four of the drones were brought down in areas adjoining the Torkham border, while another four were shot down in mountainous areas near the border with Kohat.
Tarar said the drone incursion on September 23 was a “blatant violation” of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a “grave and unacceptable act of aggression”.
“Pakistan condemns in the strongest possible terms the deliberate and unlawful incursion into Pakistan by drones on September 23, launched from Afghan territory,” he said.
The minister said that Pakistan’s Air Defence systems detected, tracked and neutralised all intruding platforms before they could reach any of their intended targets, comprehensively thwarting the attempted attack.
The minister said Pakistan for years had repeatedly conveyed its concerns to the Afghan Taliban regime and its interlocutors over the continued presence of terrorist sanctuaries and support networks on Afghan soil.
“Instead of dismantling these networks and taking credible and verifiable action against those using Afghan territory to perpetrate terrorism against Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban regime has chosen to escalate the situation through hostile drone operations against Pakistan,” he said.
Update-Ghazab lil Haq
Islamabad, 24 September 2026;
Pakistan condemns in the strongest possible terms the deliberate and unlawful incursion into Pakistan by drones on 23 September 2026, launched from Afghan territory. This constitutes a blatant violation of Pakistan’s…
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) September 24, 2026
Tarar warned that Pakistan would not tolerate attacks launched from Afghan territory, “whether by terrorist groups or by the Afghan Taliban regime itself.”
“Any violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty will be met with an immediate and decisive response,” he added.
Read: Eight drones shot down after entering Pakistan from Afghanistan: security sources
He called on the Afghan Taliban regime to immediately cease all hostile activity against Pakistan and take effective, concrete, verifiable and sustained action against terrorist entities operating from Afghan soil.
“Afghan territory must not be used to launch attacks or conduct hostile operations against Pakistan,” Tarar said. He added that Pakistan did not seek escalation and remained committed to “regional peace, dialogue and constructive engagement”.
“This commitment must not be mistaken for weakness or an unlimited tolerance of hostile actions,” he said. “Pakistan will defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the lives of its citizens with full resolve and will take all necessary measures to protect them,” Tarar added.
In a separate post, Tarar said, “Through precise aerial and drone strikes, as seen in the attached clip, terrorist hideouts and support infrastructure, including drone launching and storage sites across 10 locations in areas under the control of the Afghan Taliban regime, were comprehensively destroyed,” Tarar said.
“Pakistan will continue to defend its territorial integrity and protect the lives and property of its citizens against any externally sponsored, sheltered and abetted threat by terrorist proxies,” he added.
Update-Ghazab lil Haq
Islamabad, 24 September 2026;
Through precise aerial and drone strikes as seen in attached clip, terrorist hideouts and support infrastructure including drone launching and storage sites across 10 locations in areas under the control of Afghan Taliban… pic.twitter.com/6CrgV4SzSw
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) September 24, 2026
8 drones shot down in K-P
The recent tension started between the neighbouring countries after a blast at a mosque in Kohat’s Police Lines during Friday prayers, in which 23 people, including 15 police personnel, were martyred. Eight terrorists were also killed during a subsequent search and clearance operation. Later, Ittihadul Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP), led by Afghanistan-based Hafiz Gul Bahadur, claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing and rampage involving multiple attackers.
A day later, a captain and a lieutenant were among six martyred during an exchange of fire in Hangu district. Following a series of deadly attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), on September 21, Pakistan carried out “calibrated” air strikes against terrorist hideouts near the Afghan border and conducted intelligence-based ground operations that killed a total of 37 terrorists.
Read More: Pakistan carries out ‘calibrated’ air strikes against terrorist hideouts
Security forces conducted an intelligence-based ground operation against a group of terrorists in Kohat and Hangu districts. “As a result of precise and skilful engagement, nine khwarij belonging to the Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij were sent to hell, while several were injured.”
The statement said three targets were destroyed in precision strikes, including a training centre for suicide bombers. It said 28 terrorists, along with several suicide bombers, were killed, while large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored at the centres and hideouts were also destroyed.
Previous drone strikes
Pakistan had reported previous incidents involving drones crossing from Afghanistan into its airspace.
On July 1, security forces had shot down four “rudimentary drones” launched from Afghanistan into Balochistan on June 30. The military accused the Afghan Taliban regime of supporting terrorist groups operating from territory under its control and warned that further cross-border provocations would draw a strong response.
In March, armed forces intercepted a few rudimentary drones launched by the Afghan Taliban in what officials described as a failed attempt to harass civilian populations, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations.
The military’s media wing said the drones were detected and neutralised through a combination of defensive measures before they could reach their intended targets. However, falling debris from the intercepted drones caused injuries to civilians in multiple cities.
Two children were injured in Quetta, while one civilian each sustained injuries in Kohat and Rawalpindi. All injured individuals received medical attention and were reported to be in stable condition.
Pakistan warns Afghanistan
Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns on international forums over terrorist attacks being launched from Afghan soil.
On September 23, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called for “concrete and verifiable” action to prevent Afghan soil from being used for terrorism against neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan, while addressing the OIC Contact Group on Afghanistan on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
In a separate warning following the terrorist attack in Kohat, Pakistan said it had the “will and capability” to eliminate terror threats “wherever they are” and urged the international community to press the Afghan Taliban regime to take decisive action against terrorism.
Attributing the attack to “the vilest of Khwarij with roots in Afghanistan” the Information Ministry noted that the attack was a reminder that “terrorism has no religion and no justification”. It added that Islamabad had repeatedly raised “grave concerns” over the alleged use of Afghan territory by the banned TTP and other terrorist groups to plan and launch attacks inside the country.
“The presence of terrorist sanctuaries, alongside their recruitment and support infrastructure in Afghanistan, poses a direct threat to Pakistan’s security,” the ministry had said. It added that these concerns had repeatedly been conveyed to the Afghan Taliban regime and its interlocutors. “They must dismantle these networks rather than deflect responsibility,” Pakistan said.
United Nations Security Council report formally implicated the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and terrorist entities operating from Afghanistan, highlighting tactical collaboration and shared operational logistics between the groups.
Member-state reporting confirmed that BLA terrorists were trained alongside TTP members at facilities in Afghanistan, according to the report, which also described growing operational links among various terrorist groups operating across the border.
This was not the first time a UN report pointed to the threat posed by terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan. In 2023, a UN report also revealed that the TTP had established a new base in K-P in mid-2023, shedding light on close ties between the TTP and the Afghan Taliban, as well as between the TTP and anti-Pakistani groups and Al Qaeda.
Pak-Afghan tensions
K-P had witnessed a significant rise in militant violence last year, with more than 500 attacks reported, marking a 50% increase compared to the previous year.
The fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan that started in October has killed scores of people on both sides, with Afghans taking the brunt. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of harbouring militants who launch attacks in Pakistan, although Kabul denies this, calling the militancy its neighbour’s domestic problem.
Operation Ghazab Lil Haq was launched around the end of February following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, after Afghan Taliban forces fired on multiple locations, prompting swift military retaliation by Pakistan.
The clashes intensified after Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani air strikes targeting terrorist positions. The two sides had agreed to a week-long ceasefire on the eve of Eidul Fitr on March 18, following requests from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Also Read: Info ministry rejects Afghan Taliban-linked claims of cross-border drone strikes
Pakistan in April put forth three core demands to the Afghan Taliban during peace talks in Urumqi, China, including Kabul formally declaring the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan a terrorist organisation, dismantling its infrastructure, and providing verifiable proof of the action. These demands form the basis of Pakistan’s negotiating position, which sources say has hardened amid persistent security concerns.