Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Taliban Says Pakistan Strikes Afghanistan to Escape Makkah Pact
The Taliban says Pakistan attacked places in Afghanistan for a political reason.
It claims Pakistan wants to avoid a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
That agreement says an attack on one member should be treated as an attack on all three.
Pakistan says it attacked military targets because militants and terrorist sanctuaries are operating from Afghanistan.
Afghan authorities say four civilians were killed in the strikes.
The Taliban rejects Pakistan’s accusations and says Afghanistan could respond.
The fighting came after renewed tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
It also followed a deadly attack on a Pakistani police facility, although reports gave different numbers for those killed.
The dispute is happening while Saudi Arabia faces security concerns linked to attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of using strikes in Afghanistan to avoid commitments under its Makkah defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey on August 7, 2026, and treats an attack on one member as an attack on all three.
Afghan authorities said Pakistani airstrikes killed four civilians across several provinces, including Kandahar; Pakistan said it struck 10 military targets.
Pakistan said the strikes responded to militant threats, alleged terrorist sanctuaries, and attacks originating from Afghanistan, while Kabul rejected those accusations.
The escalation followed renewed border tensions and a militant attack on a Pakistani police facility; reports differed on the attack’s death toll, citing at least 24 or 31 fatalities.
- Who
- Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of using the strikes to avoid its pact obligations; Pakistan defended the action as a response to militant threats from Afghanistan.
- What
- Pakistan carried out airstrikes and reported strikes on 10 targets in Afghanistan, while the Taliban alleged the attacks were intended to help Islamabad escape the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
- When
- The agreement was signed on August 7, 2026; Mujahid made his remarks on Thursday, and the report was published September 25, 2026.
- Where
- The strikes hit several Afghan provinces, including Kandahar, amid renewed tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the Durand line.
- Why
- The Taliban says Pakistan is creating a pretext to avoid its pact commitments, while Pakistan says it is responding to militant attacks, alleged terrorist sanctuaries, and threats originating from Afghanistan.
Taliban and Afghan Position
Pakistan’s Position
Purpose of the strikes
Taliban and Afghan Position
Mujahid alleged that Pakistan was portraying the situation as a war with Afghanistan to create a pretext for avoiding its commitments under the Makkah agreement.
Pakistan’s Position
Pakistan said it struck identified military targets because of militant threats, alleged terrorist sanctuaries, and attacks originating from Afghanistan.
Civilian casualties and responsibility
Taliban and Afghan Position
Afghan authorities said Pakistani airstrikes killed four civilians, and Kabul rejected Islamabad’s accusations against Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Position
Pakistan said its forces targeted military sites and linked the strikes to militant activity and an alleged attempted Afghan aggression along the border.
Militant presence in Afghanistan
Taliban and Afghan Position
The Taliban government denies providing space to militants and maintains that militancy inside Pakistan is an internal issue.
Pakistan’s Position
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of allowing the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other militant groups to operate from Afghan territory.
- Defence agreement
- Makkah Joint Defence Agreement
- Agreement members
- Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey
- Signing date
- August 7, 2026
- Collective-defence provision
- An armed attack on one member is to be treated as an attack on all three members.
- Reported Afghan civilian deaths
- Four, according to Afghan authorities
- Pakistani targets
- Ten targets, according to Pakistan’s information minister
- Reported Pakistani police-facility attack toll
- Reports cited at least 24 or 31 deaths.
