Create account

Ongoing story / Pakistan

Pakistan's clashes with Afghanistan and the militant attacks inside Pakistan

Overview · reviewed November 12, 2026

Militant violence inside Pakistan has surged since 2022. Suicide bombings have struck mosques, police posts, rallies and trains, in attacks claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, the Islamic State and separatist groups.[1][2][3] Pakistan has repeatedly struck targets in Afghanistan, which it blames for the attacks, setting off deadly border clashes.[4][5]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

Pakistan has repeatedly struck targets in Afghanistan, which it blames for the attacks, setting off deadly border clashes.[4][5]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · monthly average of weekly shares (UTC)

Jan 2022: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 3 of 3 weeksFeb 2022: average weekly share 3% (left 1%, center 1%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2022: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJun 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksNov 2022: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2022: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJan 2023: average weekly share 5% (left 2%, center 2%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2023: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2023: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2023: average weekly share under 1% (left 0%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksJun 2023: average weekly share under 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2023: average weekly share 6% (left 2%, center 3%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksAug 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2023: average weekly share 3% (left 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksNov 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2023: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJan 2024: average weekly share under 1% (left 0%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2024: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2024: average weekly share 3% (left 1%, center 1%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2024: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksMay 2024: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksAug 2024: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2024: average weekly share 2% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2024: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2024: average weekly share 4% (left 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2024: average weekly share 2% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2025: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2025: average weekly share 2% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2025: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2025: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2025: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2025: average weekly share 4% (left 1%, center 2%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2026: average weekly share 1% (left 1%, center under 1%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2026: average weekly share 4% (left 1%, center 2%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2026: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2026: average weekly share 3% (left 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2026: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2026: average weekly share 2% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2026: average weekly share under 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2026: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 2 of 2 weeks, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. Over more than two years each bar is a month: the average of that month's weekly shares, so the shape stays readable. The weekly table below keeps every week. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 7 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (58 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Nov 9, 2026 (so far)1225 of 4731%
Nov 2, 20261203 of 4711%
Oct 12, 20261203 of 4761%
Sep 28, 20261506 of 4761%
Sep 21, 2026611421 of 4794%
Sep 14, 202627413 of 4803%
Jul 27, 2026211316 of 5613%
Jul 13, 20264116 of 5591%
Jul 6, 20262114 of 5601%
May 25, 20262024 of 1852%
May 18, 2026411116 of 1978%
Mar 16, 202657517 of 17810%
Mar 2, 20261113 of 1752%
Feb 23, 20260101 of 1861%
Feb 16, 20264105 of 1783%
Feb 2, 2026613322 of 17712%
Jan 26, 20264307 of 1894%
Nov 24, 20253407 of 1535%
Nov 10, 2025613322 of 18812%
Oct 13, 20251102 of 1821%
Oct 6, 202553412 of 1817%
May 19, 202546212 of 1976%
Apr 21, 20252439 of 2064%
Mar 10, 2025410317 of 1989%
Feb 24, 20253306 of 1973%
Dec 23, 2024212317 of 1929%
Nov 18, 20241517 of 2253%
Nov 11, 20240314 of 2112%
Nov 4, 2024813425 of 22311%
Oct 7, 202467417 of 2058%
Sep 30, 20240538 of 2224%
Sep 16, 20241214 of 2092%
Sep 9, 20240516 of 2303%
Aug 26, 202469520 of 20410%
May 6, 20241225 of 2362%
Apr 15, 202434310 of 2474%
Apr 8, 20242305 of 2642%
Mar 25, 202447314 of 2456%
Mar 18, 202436413 of 2465%
Feb 5, 2024810523 of 24210%
Jan 8, 20240145 of 2432%
Dec 11, 202334411 of 2255%
Sep 25, 2023914831 of 22714%
Jul 31, 20231119636 of 25414%
Jul 24, 20231426343 of 26216%
Jul 17, 20231012 of 2671%
Jun 26, 20232204 of 2791%
May 29, 20230224 of 2582%
Apr 24, 20231214 of 2552%
Apr 10, 20233328 of 2543%
Mar 6, 20233429 of 1775%
Jan 30, 20231523846 of 19024%
Dec 19, 20221135 of 1843%
Dec 5, 20221102 of 1901%
Nov 28, 20221135 of 1883%
Apr 25, 20223126 of 2043%
Feb 28, 2022910423 of 19712%
Jan 17, 20221124 of 1842%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Nov 13, 2026 · first reported · Headline from WTOP Washington DC

    Pakistan’s military says 43 militants were killed in raids on their hideouts in the northwest

Background

Bombings in 2022 and 2023 hit mosques, a political rally and Chinese nationals. In March 2022, a bombing claimed by an Islamic State affiliate killed at least 56 people at a Shiite mosque in Peshawar, and in April a suicide bomber killed three Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver in Karachi.[6][7] In January 2023, a suicide bomber killed 59 people at a mosque.[1] In July, a bombing at a political rally in the northwest killed at least 54, in an attack the Islamic State claimed.[2][8][9] In September, suicide bombings at religious ceremonies marking the Prophet Muhammad's birthday killed more than 50.[10] Bombings near political offices killed at least two dozen people the day before the February 2024 elections.[11]

Read the full background (2 more paragraphs)

Attacks on Chinese workers continued in 2024, and gunmen killed passengers and miners in the southwest.[12][13][14][15] In November, a suicide bombing at a rail station in the southwest killed at least 26.[3] In March 2025, Baloch separatists seized a passenger train carrying about 500 people.[16] In February 2026, a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad killed at least 31, in an attack the Islamic State claimed.[17]

Pakistan has also struck inside Afghanistan. It carried out airstrikes on suspected Pakistani Taliban hideouts in March 2024.[18] The Taliban said Pakistani airstrikes killed 46 people in December 2024.[19] In border fighting in October 2025, Afghanistan said it had killed 58 Pakistani soldiers, while Pakistan said more than 200 Taliban and allied fighters had been killed.[4] In March 2026, the Taliban government said more than 400 people were killed in a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul.[5] Fighting flared again in September and October 2026, with Pakistan striking Afghanistan after accusing it of attacks. Pakistan said one round of strikes killed 22 militants, while the Taliban and the UN mission said those killed were mostly children.[20][21] On November 3, suspected militants killed two police officers guarding polio workers in northwestern Pakistan.[22] On November 11, gunmen attacked police during an operation against illegal gold mining in northwestern Pakistan, killing 10 officers, and 18 militants died in the fighting that followed.[23]

Supporting stories (23)
  1. Pakistan mosque suicide bomber kills 59, wounds over 150
  2. A bomb at a political rally in northwest Pakistan kills at least 40 people and wounds more than 150
  3. Suicide bombing at rail station in southwestern Pakistan kills at least 26
  4. New Pakistan-Afghanistan border clashes kill dozens, officials say
  5. Afghanistan says 400 people killed in Pakistan strike on Kabul hospital
  6. Gunfight and bomb blast at Pakistani Shiite mosque kills dozens
  7. Suicide blast in southern Pakistan kills 3 Chinese, driver
  8. Death toll in Pakistan suicide bombing rises to 54 as families hold funerals, police say
  9. Islamic State claims responsibility for Pakistan bombing that killed 54 at pro-Taliban election rally
  10. Explosion kills more than 50 in Pakistan
  11. Pair of bombings at election offices kill 24 in Pakistan the day before elections
  12. Chinese workers killed in suicide bomb blast as Pakistan grapples with attacks on Beijing’s interests
  13. A Pakistani separatist group claims bombing that killed 2 Chinese near Karachi airport
  14. Gunmen kill 23 passengers taken from vehicles in an attack in southwest Pakistan
  15. Gunmen kill 20 miners ahead of security summit
  16. Pakistani security forces battle to free about 300 hostages aboard a hijacked train
  17. Suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on Islamabad’s outskirts kills at least 31 and wounds scores
  18. Pakistani jets target suspected Pakistani Taliban hideouts in Afghanistan, killing 8 people
  19. Taliban: Pakistani airstrikes killed 46 people in eastern Afghanistan
  20. Pakistan strikes Afghanistan after accusing it of attacks
  21. Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan kill 9 civilians, Kabul says; Pakistan says only militants hit
  22. Suspected militants open fire and kill 2 police officers guarding polio workers in Pakistan
  23. At least 10 cops killed after militants ambush police vehicles in Pakistan

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 71 recorded updates

November 2026

  1. Pakistan’s military says 43 militants were killed in raids on their hideouts in the northwestHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 3 outlets
  2. At least 10 cops killed after militants ambush police vehicles in PakistanHeadline from New York Post · 5 outlets
  3. Suspected militants open fire and kill 2 police officers guarding polio workers in PakistanHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 4 outlets

October 2026

  1. Pakistani forces, Afghan Taliban exchange fire after militants attempt to infiltrate PakistanHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 3 outlets
  2. Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan kill 9 civilians, Kabul says; Pakistan says only militants hitHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 9 outlets

September 2026

  1. Suicide bombing at police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan kills at least 11Headline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 14 outlets
  2. Afghanistan says 28 fighters killed, 32 captured after crossing from PakistanHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 5 outlets
  3. Pakistan strikes Afghanistan after accusing it of attacksHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 17 outlets
  4. Pakistani forces kill 5 militants and free 23 hostages in operation in the southwestHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 2 outlets
  5. Pakistani forces end 20-hour standoff with militants in the northwestHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 6 outlets
  6. Bombing at mosque near police offices in Pakistan kills at least 21Headline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 17 outlets

August 2026

  1. Suicide bomber strikes antimilitant rally in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 14Headline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 15 outlets

July 2026

  1. Militants attack a Pakistani police post and kill 5 officers in a northwestern provinceHeadline from Jonesboro Sun · 6 outlets
  2. Pakistani troops kill 24 militants in raids as violence escalates in region near AfghanistanHeadline from Jonesboro Sun · 6 outlets
  3. Pakistan military says insurgents killed 18 abducted policemen and 11 soldiers in separate attacksHeadline from Jonesboro Sun · 5 outlets

May 2026

  1. Suicide bombing near railway track in Pakistan kills at least 23Headline from Los Angeles Times · 24 outlets

March 2026

  1. Afghanistan says 400 people killed in Pakistan strike on Kabul hospitalHeadline from Delaware Public Media · 20 outlets

February 2026

  1. Pakistan claims dozens of Afghan Taliban troops killedHeadline from Deutsche Welle · 4 outlets
  2. Pakistan military claims to have killed at least 70 militants in Afghan border strikesHeadline from WISH-TV Indianapolis · 8 outlets
  3. Suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on Islamabad’s outskirts kills at least 31 and wounds scoresHeadline from The Boston Globe · 25 outlets

January 2026

  1. Pakistan forces kill 145 militants after attacks in BalochistanHeadline from Al-Monitor · 8 outlets

November 2025

  1. Pakistan strikes Afghanistan, kills 9 children, Taliban says – DWHeadline from Deutsche Welle · 9 outlets
  2. Suicide bombers in northwest Pakistan kill at least 3 at security force headquartersHeadline from CBS News · 5 outlets
  3. Suicide bombing kills 12 in PakistanHeadline from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · 25 outlets

October 2025

  1. New Pakistan-Afghanistan border clashes kill dozens, officials sayHeadline from Digital Journal · 16 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →