Pakistan Declares State of 'Open War' Following Major Airstrikes on Afghan Cities
Pakistan has bombed major cities across Afghanistan including the capital Kabul, with Islamabad's defence minister declaring that the hostile neighbours are now in a state of "open war" as a cycle of retaliatory attacks escalates dramatically. The wave of strikes represents Pakistan's most extensive bombardment of the Afghan capital to date and marks the first airstrikes on Kandahar, the southern power base of the Taliban movement that returned to power in 2021.
Escalating Violence and Conflicting Casualty Claims
Witnesses in Kabul and Kandahar reported explosions and jets overhead until dawn on Friday, while the Taliban government confirmed that Pakistani surveillance aircraft continued flying over Afghan territory. The operation followed Afghan forces attacking Pakistani border troops on Thursday night, which itself came in retaliation for earlier Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas.
Pakistan's federal minister for information and broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, claimed the strikes in Kabul, Paktia, and Kandahar killed 133 Afghan Taliban officials and wounded more than 200 people, with further casualties possible. In stark contrast, Afghanistan's defence ministry reported that 55 Pakistani soldiers had been killed in border clashes, with some bodies taken into Afghanistan and several soldiers "captured alive." The ministry stated eight Afghan soldiers were killed and eleven wounded, while reporting the destruction of 19 Pakistani army posts and two bases.
Civilian Impact and Border Region Violence
Afghan authorities in eastern Nangarhar province confirmed fighting continued in the Torkham border area on Friday morning, with Pakistani mortar fire reportedly hitting civilian areas including a refugee camp. In response, Afghanistan targeted Pakistani army posts across the border, with dozens of casualties reported including at least twelve killed.
The volatile districts of Bajaur and Kurram bordering Afghanistan experienced the worst effects of Afghan Taliban firings and mortar shells. A resident in Bajaur district described mortar shells hitting Bara Lagharai village in neighbouring Mahmund district, killing at least two civilians and injuring six others. Local deputy commissioner Shahid Ali confirmed the death toll and injuries, noting five rounds of artillery were fired by Afghan Taliban forces across the border directly hitting civilian houses.
Political Statements and Historical Context
Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, declared on Friday that his country's armed forces could "crush" aggressors, while defence minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif proclaimed the situation had become "open war" between the nations. In a social media post, Asif expressed that Pakistan had hoped for peace in Afghanistan following NATO forces' withdrawal and expected the Taliban to focus on Afghan welfare and regional stability.
Instead, he alleged the Taliban had gathered militants from around the world and begun "exporting terrorism," stating: "Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us." Islamabad frequently accuses its western neighbour of supporting militant groups including the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and outlawed Baloch separatist groups, allegations both the TTP and Kabul deny.
Failed Diplomacy and Regional Tensions
Tensions have remained high between the hostile neighbours for months, with border clashes in October killing dozens of soldiers, civilians, and suspected militants. A Qatari-mediated ceasefire ended that fighting, but several rounds of peace talks in Istanbul during November failed to produce a formal agreement.
The border clashes began after 8pm on Thursday night when Afghan Taliban forces attacked various border posts in several districts of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The tensions have risen steeply in recent months, with land border crossings largely shut since deadly fighting in October that killed more than 70 people on both sides.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 2,611-kilometre-long border known as the Durand Line, which Afghanistan has never formally recognised. Efforts to establish a lasting agreement between the two nations have repeatedly failed, with negotiations and an initial ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey in October appearing increasingly unstable as violence escalates.
