{"id":56966,"date":"2026-02-23T03:15:31","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T08:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/pakistan-claims-at-least-70-fighters-killed-in-strikes-along-afghan-border\/23\/02\/2026\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T03:15:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T08:15:31","slug":"pakistan-claims-at-least-70-fighters-killed-in-strikes-along-afghan-border","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/pakistan-claims-at-least-70-fighters-killed-in-strikes-along-afghan-border\/23\/02\/2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan claims at least 70 fighters killed in strikes along Afghan border"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A senior Pakistani government official has claimed that its military killed at least 70 fighters in air raids along the border with Afghanistan, claims Kabul has denied, amid escalating tensions between the two South Asian neighbours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Talal Chaudhry, Pakistan\u2019s deputy interior minister, offered no evidence for his claim in an interview with Geo News on Sunday evening that at least 70 rebels were killed in the attack. Pakistan\u2019s state media reported that the death toll had jumped to 80; however, there was no official confirmation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Pakistan\u2019s military carried out the air raids early on Sunday, targeting what it called \u201ccamps and hideouts\u201d belonging to armed groups behind a spate of recent attacks, including a deadly <span>suicide bombing<\/span> at a Shia mosque in the capital, Islamabad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The country\u2019s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar wrote on X that the military conducted \u201cintelligence-based, selective operations\u201d against seven camps belonging to the Pakistan Taliban group, known by the acronym TTP, and its affiliates.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Taliban security personnel and residents search for victims after overnight Pakistani air raids on a residential area in Girdi Kas village in Bihsud district, Nangarhar province, on February 22, 2026 [AFP]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Tarar said Pakistan \u201chas always strived to maintain peace and stability in the region\u201d, but added that the safety and security of Pakistani citizens remained a top priority.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">President Asif Ali Zardari said late on Sunday that Pakistan\u2019s recent attacks along the Afghan border were \u201crooted in [its] inherent right to defend its people against terrorism\u201d after repeated warnings to Kabul went unheeded.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The attacks threaten a fragile ceasefire between the South Asian neighbours, negotiated following deadly border clashes that killed dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected fighters in October last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Pakistan said it has repeatedly urged Afghanistan\u2019s Taliban government to take action to prevent armed groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks, but that Kabul has failed to \u201cundertake any substantive action\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Afghanistan has rejected Pakistani allegations that its territory is used by armed groups linked to attacks in Pakistan.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Afghanistan denies claims<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Afghan Ministry of Defence said in a statement that \u201cvarious civilian areas\u201d in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika were hit, including a religious school and several homes. The statement called the attacks a violation of Afghanistan\u2019s airspace and sovereignty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said \u201cpeople\u2019s homes have been destroyed, they have targeted civilians, they have committed this criminal act\u201d with the bombardment of the two eastern provinces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Residents from around the remote Bihsud district in Nangarhar joined searchers to look for bodies under the rubble using shovels and a digger, the AFP news agency reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cPeople here are ordinary people. The residents of this village are our relatives. When the bombing happened, one person who survived was shouting for help,\u201d resident Amin Gul Amin, 37, told AFP.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Spokesperson Mujahid also said Pakistan\u2019s claim of killing 70 fighters was \u201cinaccurate\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Mawlawi Fazl Rahman Fayyaz, the provincial director of the Afghan Red Crescent Society in Nangarhar province, said 18 people were killed and several others were wounded.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Afghanistan\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Pakistan\u2019s ambassador in Kabul to protest against the attacks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In a statement, the ministry said protecting Afghanistan\u2019s territory is its \u201cSharia responsibility\u201d, warning that Pakistan would be held responsible for the consequences of such attacks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/pakistan-claims-least-70-fighters-074642183.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A senior Pakistani government official has claimed that its military killed at least 70 fighters in air raids along the border with<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/pakistan-claims-at-least-70-fighters-killed-in-strikes-along-afghan-border\/23\/02\/2026\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56967,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/hXpio1Iso9fQGPs1X.DpnQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD04MDA7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/al_jazeera_289\/30ea76df605be33d8c7f6043772d5b62","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56966"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}