ISLAMABAD - Pakistan conducted massive airstrikes targeting Afghan Taliban positions across multiple provinces in Afghanistan early Thursday, striking drone compounds and military headquarters in Kandahar, Paktika, Khost, and Nangarhar, according to Pakistani officials.

Pakistan conducted massive airstrikes targeting Taliban positions across Afghanistan:

- Kandahar
- Paktika
- Khost
- Nangarhar

Several Afghan Taliban drone compounds and headquarters were targeted.

Pakistan will surely avenge the blood of each and every one of its martyrs. pic.twitter.com/EiJ4yBlCTP

- Zard si Gana (@ZardSi) September 24, 2026

The operation, part of what Pakistan calls "Operation Ghazab lil-Haq" (Righteous Fury), came in response to what Islamabad described as a "cowardly" cross-border drone incursion by the Afghan Taliban regime on September 23.

🎯 Strikes Hit 10 Targets

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that precision aerial and drone strikes were conducted on 10 locations used for launching and storing drones, describing the action as a "deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate" response strictly limited to identified military objectives.

"Pakistan's air defense systems detected, tracked, and destroyed all intruding drones before they could reach any intended target," Tarar stated, adding that the strikes were conducted under Pakistan's right to self-defense.

📍 Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost Hit

Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed strikes on Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost provinces, claiming that "four civilians were martyred in this criminal act of aggression" and vowing an "appropriate response".

A resident of Kandahar, where Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada resides, told AFP they heard a jet followed by a large explosion and saw fire in the city center. Reports also indicated that a compound associated with Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban, was among the targets in Kandahar.

⚔️ Background: Drone Incursion Sparked Response

The strikes followed Pakistan's claim that 8 drones were launched from Afghan territory into Pakistani airspace on September 23. Pakistani air defense systems intercepted all drones - four near the Torkham border and four in mountainous areas near Kohat.

Pakistan's Information Minister condemned the alleged incursion as "a flagrant violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and "a serious and unacceptable act of aggression".

Afghanistan's Taliban government denied launching any drones across the border, accusing Pakistan of using the allegation to justify attacks inside Afghan territory.

💢 Vow to Avenge Martyrs

Pakistan has made clear its determination to respond decisively to threats emanating from Afghan soil. The operation follows years of Pakistani concerns over terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan, particularly those linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

"Pakistan will continue to defend its territorial integrity and protect lives and properties of its citizens against any externally sponsored, sheltered and abetted threat by terrorist proxies," Tarar stated.

The strikes represent a significant escalation in Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions, marking the second attack inside Afghanistan in four days after a period of relative quiet following a March ceasefire.