Taliban Weighing TTP or Direct Retaliation Following Pakistan Airstrikes

DID press: Following recent Pakistani airstrikes on Paktika and Nangarhar provinces, the Taliban government has pledged a “hard response at an appropriate time.” A credible source told IRAF that the Taliban’s most likely course of action is to leverage the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan network to target Pakistani security interests, while Taliban forces along the shared border remain on high alert.

The Pakistani military targeted multiple locations in Nangarhar and Paktika on February 20, reportedly killing 25 people, including 17 civilians; other sources have reported casualties up to 90.

Taliban’s Ministry of Defense reportedly held an extended meeting to evaluate potential retaliatory measures, aiming to balance political messaging with minimizing domestic backlash. Analysts suggest that both the Taliban and TTP may exploit civilian casualties during Ramadan to challenge the legitimacy of Pakistan’s operations.

Pakistan maintains that the strikes were a “sovereign right” to counter cross-border terrorism, targeting only TTP-linked safe havens. Taliban strategists are now weighing whether to rely on proxy actions via TTP or consider direct engagement with Pakistani forces.