Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged fire along their shared border on February 24, 2026, escalating tensions following Pakistani airstrikes in Nangarhar province over the weekend.

Axar.az, citing Reuters, reports that Pakistan said the Afghan Taliban initiated “unprovoked firing” in the Torkham and Tirah sectors, prompting a swift response from Pakistani forces, who warned that any further provocations would be met severely.

Afghan officials, however, claimed that Pakistani forces fired first and that Afghan troops responded defensively, with the exchange reportedly ending without Afghan casualties.

The weekend airstrikes targeted camps of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) in eastern Afghanistan, with Pakistani security sources reporting about 70 militants killed. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported at least 13 civilian deaths and seven injuries in Nangarhar, though Taliban officials gave higher figures.

The clashes highlight the fragile situation along the 2,600-kilometer Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where Pakistan accuses TTP leaders of operating from Afghan territory, a claim Kabul denies.