Ghudwana (; ) is a territory located at the AfghanistanâÂÂPakistan border. It has historically been a part of Terwa District in Paktika Province of Afghanistan; however, Pakistani forces claimed to have seized Ghudwana in February 2026 in the wake of the 2026 AfghanistanâÂÂPakistan conflict and merged it into its Zhob District in Balochistan Province.
On 24 March 2026, the OHCHR and several UN experts put out a statement flagging the military presence in Ghudwana as a breach of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits force against another stateâÂÂs territorial integrity. ISPR linked Pakistani state media has described the area as part of Zhob District, but that framing hasnâÂÂt gained traction in international legal circles. As things stand, Ghudwana is still widely recognized internationally as Afghan sovereign territory, within Paktika Province.
Ghudwana is derived from Pashto terms ("unbeatable") and ("town"). As such, means "town of the unbeatable" in Pashto.
During the War in Afghanistan (2001âÂÂ2021), Ghudwana became a strategically key staging zone for the Afghan Taliban and other militant groups against the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and allied forces. The Taliban led two sieges of Ghudwana in 2015. It was also reportedly used for transporting explosive materials from Afghanistan into Pakistan by ex-TTP elements.
In August 2021, Taliban forces captured Ghudwana during the 2021 Taliban offensive from the IRA and allied forces.
In February 2026, during the 2026 AfghanistanâÂÂPakistan conflict, it was reported that the Pakistan Armed Forces had captured of Ghudwana. Pakistan claimed to have merged the town into its Zhob District of Balochistan Province. Despite these claims, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) officially categorized the hostilities as occurring "inside Afghanistan" in its March 2026 report. Furthermore, on 24 March 2026, UN human rights experts stated that the military operations in the sector constituted a violation of the UN Charter's prohibition on the use of force.
On 27 March 2026, BBC News released satellite images, sourcing Planet Labs, of the newly installed fencing in the Ghudwana sector. Taliban leader Haji Khan Siddiq, however, denied all reports of fencing in the Paktika Province.
The region is mainly populated by the Solaimankhel tribe of Ghilji Pashtuns. Ghudwana has a population of around 1,500 people.