On February 22, 2026, Pakistan confirmed it conducted intelligence-based airstrikes targeting seven militant camps and ambush sites inside Afghanistan, following a series of deadly attacks attributed to militants operating from Afghan soil. The strikes were described as a retributive response to recent suicide bombings in Islamabad, Bajaur, and Bannu that resulted in the deaths of 11 Pakistani soldiers and a child. The Pakistani Ministry of Information stated that these operations were aimed at groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), referred to as 'Fitna al Khwarij,' and the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP). However, the Afghan Defence Ministry condemned the strikes, claiming they hit a religious school and residential homes in Nangarhar and Paktika, resulting in dozens of casualties, including women and children, as reported by Al Jazeera and Tolo News.