Pakistan on 19 February 2026 lodged a strong diplomatic protest with Afghanistan’s diplomatic mission in Islamabad after a suicide bombing in the Bajaur district earlier this week killed 11 Pakistani soldiers and a young girl near the Afghan border. In a formal move, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Afghan deputy head of mission and delivered a demarche, a strict protest note, condemning the attack and expressing “deep concern” over the incident and its wider implications.
The ministry’s statement said the bombing, which took place on 16 February, was carried out by insurgents believed to be operating from Afghan territory. Islamabad blamed the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the affiliated Fitna Al Khwarij group, asserting that their “leadership is based in Afghanistan and operates with impunity.” The Foreign Office urged Kabul to take immediate, concrete, and verifiable measures against all terror groups using its soil to launch attacks against Pakistan’s security forces and civilians.
Pakistan’s statement also reiterated that it “reserves the right to respond and eliminate those who were behind the attack wherever they may be located,” stressing the need to protect its soldiers, citizens, and borders. There was no immediate official response from Afghan authorities at the time of the protest.
The diplomatic row comes amid long-standing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, especially after deadly border clashes in October 2025 that killed dozens of soldiers, civilians, and suspected militants. Although a ceasefire mediated by Qatar has broadly held, talks in Istanbul failed to produce a lasting settlement on cross-border security and militant sanctuaries.
