Pakistan Declares 'Open War' On Afghanistan After Cross-Border Clashes, Airstrikes Hit Kabul & Kandahar After Taliban Claims Capturing PAK Posts

Islamabad has formally escalated tensions with Afghanistan, declaring what it called an open war against the Taliban-led government following renewed and deadly clashes along the shared border. The sharp deterioration in ties came after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and Kandahar in the wee hours of Friday, hours after Afghan forces launched attacks on Pakistani border troops.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif publicly announced the escalation, stating that Pakistan’s patience has reached its limit. He said Islamabad had launched a military offensive, codenamed Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, against Afghan Taliban targets.

Afghan authorities confirmed multiple explosions in Kabul, though details about the exact locations and casualties remained unclear. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani aircraft also struck Kandahar in southern Afghanistan and Paktia province in the southeast. According to Kabul, the Afghan military’s cross-border assault late Thursday was in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes carried out earlier in the week on Afghan border areas.

Afghanistan Claims Of Capturing Several Pakistani Military Posts

Afghanistan’s defence ministry claimed its forces captured more than a dozen Pakistani army posts during the operation, while acknowledging that eight Afghan soldiers were killed and 11 wounded. According to an NDTV report, Afghan officials also reported civilian casualties near the Torkham border crossing, where a mortar shell struck a refugee camp housing returnees from Pakistan, injuring at least seven people, including women.

Pakistan, however, rejected Kabul’s account. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Afghan claims of captured posts were false and described the Afghan attack as unprovoked firing. He confirmed Pakistani airstrikes on what Islamabad described as Afghan Taliban military installations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, stating that multiple brigade and corps headquarters, ammunition depots and logistics bases had been destroyed.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused the Afghan Taliban of deliberately targeting civilians, vowing that Pakistan’s armed forces had responded decisively. He said the country would not allow its security to be compromised and warned of serious consequences for further attacks.

Casualty Figures Differ Both Side

Casualty figures released by the two sides differed sharply. Afghanistan claimed 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and several captured, while Pakistan said only two of its soldiers died and denied any captures. Islamabad, in turn, claimed dozens of Afghan fighters were killed, with later statements from the Prime Minister’s Office stating even higher figures. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office dismissed Afghan statements as misinformation.

Both sides also reported heavy exchanges of fire near Torkham, prompting evacuations on both sides of the border. Afghan authorities moved refugees from camps close to the crossing, while Pakistani officials said villagers and stranded Afghan refugees were relocated to safer areas.

The surge in violence has raised concerns internationally. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged both countries to protect civilians and resolve differences through diplomacy. Tensions between the neighbours have simmered for months, fuelled by Pakistan’s allegations that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan operates from Afghan soil, claims Kabul continues to deny, leaving the region once again on edge as the ceasefire appears increasingly fragile.