Pakistan launched a series of air strikes across three Afghan provinces on June 10, 2026, marking another violent escalation in a conflict that has been simmering for months. The strikes hit targets in Khost, Kunar, and Paktika provinces, and the casualty numbers, as usual, depend entirely on who you ask.
The Afghan Taliban reported at least 13 people killed, including 11 children, one woman, and one elderly man, with another 14 injured in what they describe as strikes on residential areas. Pakistan’s military tells a very different story: 26 militants killed across seven camps linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The gap between “26 militants” and “11 children” is not just a discrepancy. It’s the entire conflict in miniature.
A conflict that keeps escalating
This didn’t come out of nowhere. Pakistan conducted air strikes in Afghanistan back in late February 2026, an operation severe enough that the Taliban declared what amounted to “open war” in response. Pakistan then launched Operation Ghazab lil Haq, a military campaign aimed at rooting out TTP fighters it says are sheltering across the border in Afghan territory.
The TTP is a Pakistani militant group that has carried out numerous attacks inside Pakistan over the years. Pakistan’s central grievance is straightforward: the Afghan Taliban government either can’t or won’t stop TTP fighters from using Afghan soil as a staging ground for cross-border attacks.
