Islamabad, February 25: Pakistan is now on high alert following airstrikes in Afghanistan‘s border regions. The country is concerned that Kabul may retaliate for these actions.
Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry expressed these fears, emphasizing the need for heightened security across the nation. He spoke to Reuters on Wednesday, stating, “Our military is on high alert to respond to any attacks. You know that whenever we strike militant positions in Afghanistan, they always retaliate.”
Last week, Pakistan conducted airstrikes in residential areas of Afghanistan. Kabul claimed that these attacks resulted in civilian casualties, while Pakistan maintained that its targets were terrorist groups responsible for recent suicide bombings within its territory.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of allowing militants to use Afghanistan as a safe haven. However, the Taliban has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that militancy is an internal issue for Pakistan.
According to the prominent local daily Dawn, there was an exchange of gunfire between Pakistani and Afghan forces at the border on Tuesday, with both sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.
Chaudhry’s concerns stem from a series of recent attacks that have resulted in significant casualties among police and security personnel. A recent attack in Kohat targeted a police vehicle, killing five officers, including one senior official, and injuring two civilians. On the same day, a suicide bombing at a checkpoint claimed the lives of two police officers.
Chaudhry stated that these retaliatory attacks validate Islamabad’s claims that Afghanistan supports anti-Pakistan forces. He also noted that in recent weeks, security forces have thwarted several attacks and apprehended numerous suspects.
The minister revealed that security operations have intensified, leading to the arrest of “dozens of suspects, their accomplices, and safe havers.” Sources suggest that there may be an increase in attempts at terror attacks in Pakistan in the coming days.
According to the Global Monitoring Organization, Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), the number of attacks in Pakistan has been rising annually since 2022. ACLED data indicates that attacks surged from 658 in 2022 to approximately 2,425 in 2025. During this period, attacks by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) increased sevenfold, from 118 in 2022 to 838 in 2025.
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