Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have sharply escalated after Pakistan carried out airstrikes targeting locations in Kabul and other Afghan provinces following intense cross-border clashes.
The airstrikes come after days of heavy fighting along the disputed Durand Line, where both sides accused each other of initiating attacks. Pakistani authorities stated that the strikes targeted Taliban military positions, including command centres and ammunition depots.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the situation as nearing “open war,” indicating that relations between the two neighbours have deteriorated significantly.
Pakistan claimed that a large number of Taliban fighters were killed and several military installations destroyed in the strikes. Afghan officials, however, rejected Islamabad’s version and asserted that their forces inflicted heavy casualties on Pakistani troops during earlier border confrontations.
Taliban authorities acknowledged casualties but accused Pakistan of targeting civilian areas as well. Reports from border provinces suggested injuries among civilians, including women and children, though independent verification remains limited.
The conflict has been building for months, with Pakistan repeatedly accusing Afghanistan’s Taliban government of sheltering militant groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistani territory. Kabul has denied these allegations.
The Durand Line — the disputed border between the two nations — has long been a source of friction. Afghanistan has historically refused to formally recognise the boundary, leading to periodic military confrontations.