Further exacerbating the border standoff, the Afghan Taliban regime launched a deliberate artillery and mortar assault on civilian populations in the Bajaur District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday.
Shells fired from across the border struck a residential compound in the Tabesta Letai area of Salarzai in the afternoon, leaving a trail of blood and devastation in a community already weary of cross-border volatility.
According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar, the strike directly hit the home of a local civilian identified as Tahir, resulting in an unthinkable domestic tragedy.
Four of Tahir’s sons—identified as Sajid (28), Ayaz (25), Riyaz (22), and Mahaz (18)—were killed instantly in the blast. A five-year-old child from the same family and another civilian, Abbas, sustained critical injuries and were rushed to nearby medical facilities.
✅ 15 March 2026
Attack on innocent civilians by Afghan Taliban Regime in Bajaur
▪️ Today on 15th of March 2026 around 1530 hours, Afghan Taliban regime deliberately targeted civilian population through artillery / mortar fire from across the border in Tabesta Letai, Salarzai… pic.twitter.com/M8PdBra2eN
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) March 15, 2026
Islamabad issued a stern statement condemning the deliberate targeting of non-combatants.
Tarar characterized the attack as a reflection of the “deep frustration and desperation” of the Afghan Taliban and their proxies, Fitna-al-Khawarij (TTP), following significant setbacks dealt by the Pakistan Armed Forces.
“This heinous targeting of civilians is a grievous violation of international law and basic human values,” Tarar stated. “It comes as the Afghan Taliban regime and their terrorist cohorts face heavy losses under Operation Ghazb Lil Haq.”
In a swift retaliatory move, Pakistani forces targeted Afghan Taliban positions and infrastructure in the Chitral sector, reportedly obliterating the Gowardesh Brigade in the MG sector and striking several other border posts responsible for the mortar fire.
Pakistan targets Kandahar storage tunnel in midnight strikes on Afghanistan
Local residents expressed profound outrage, registering strong condemnations against what they describe as a “cowardly” act by the Afghan regime.
Simultaneously, the conflict has widened deep into Afghan territory. Reports indicate that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) conducted precision strikes in Kandahar and Nangarhar.
Airstrikes targeted a newly established Special Forces headquarters built specifically for units under the direction of Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
The regional headquarters of the Taliban’s intelligence agency, the GDI, was also struck. Afghanistan International, citing local sources, reported that the Special Forces commander, Nazar Mohammad Habib, was injured along with fifteen other personnel and is currently being treated at Momand Hospital. Conversely, an Afghan Taliban drone reportedly crashed in Paktika shortly after takeoff, and the regime has claimed—for the first time during this escalation—that there were no civilian casualties on their side following the latest PAF sorties.
The events of March 15 mark a critical turning point in the 2026 border war. The deliberate targeting of the Salarzai civilian population suggests a shift in Afghan Taliban tactics toward asymmetric pressure, attempting to force a halt to Pakistan’s effective aerial campaign by creating a humanitarian crisis on the Pakistani side of the border.
However, Pakistan’s response—targeting the inner sanctum of the Taliban leadership’s “Special Forces” in Kandahar—demonstrates that Islamabad is no longer content with localized border skirmishes.
By striking infrastructure linked directly to Hibatullah Akhundzada, Pakistan is signaling that the “strategic depth” once enjoyed by the Taliban has evaporated. The decimation of the Gowardesh Brigade further suggests that Pakistan’s conventional military superiority is being utilized to dismantle the Taliban’s formal military structure along the Durand Line.
Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
