Pakistan has launched widespread airstrikes on Afghan cities including Kabul and Kandahar, with Islamabad's defence minister stating the two countries are in a state of "open war". The bombardment, the most extensive on the Afghan capital and the first on Kandahar since the Taliban returned to power, came after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops.
Witnesses reported explosions and jets overhead until dawn. The Taliban government said Pakistani surveillance aircraft continued to fly over Afghanistan. Fighting was reported in the Torkham border area, with Afghan authorities saying Pakistani mortar fire hit civilian areas, including a refugee camp. Dozens of casualties were reported, with at least 12 killed.
Tensions have been high for months, with border clashes in October killing dozens. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan's Taliban of harbouring militant groups that stage cross-border attacks, including the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). A Qatari-mediated ceasefire ended last year's fighting but peace talks in Istanbul in November failed to produce a formal agreement.
Pakistan's information minister Attaullah Tarar claimed the strikes killed 133 Afghan Taliban officials and wounded over 200. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the armed forces could "crush" aggressors. Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif posted on X that Pakistan's patience had run out and it was now "open war".
A resident in Kabul's Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood described a huge blast and expressed fear, saying civilians always suffer. The source also notes Pakistan's accusations of Indian backing for Baloch separatists and TTP, which both deny.
