Pakistan and Afghanistan Enter ‘Open War’ as Airstrikes Rock Kabul

Sky News

The attack of Pakistan.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have moved from border clashes to full-scale military confrontation, with Islamabad’s defence minister declaring an “open war” against the Taliban-led government in Kabul after major air and ground assaults. 

Early on Friday, Pakistani forces carried out airstrikes on major Afghan cities, including the capital Kabul, as well as Kandahar and Paktia provinces, marking the most serious escalation in months. Explosions were reported in the Afghan capital, and fighter jets were heard overhead as jets struck what Pakistan characterised as Taliban military targets. 

In a social media post, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Islamabad’s “cup of patience had run out,” accusing Afghanistan of supporting militant groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. He declared: “Now it is open war between us and you.” 

Both sides have released sharply different accounts of casualties and battlefield developments. Pakistani officials claimed the strikes killed dozens of Taliban fighters and damaged multiple military sites. Afghan authorities, in turn, said Pakistani bombs hit civilian areas, injuring non-combatants and that their forces had killed or captured Pakistani soldiers. 

International news agencies reported that sirens sounded across Kabul following blasts, and ambulances were seen responding to emergency calls. 

Tensions along the 2,600-km Durand Line frontier have been growing for months, marked by border skirmishes and mutual accusations. Pakistan accuses the Afghan government of harbouring militant groups such as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State-Khorasan Province, which Islamabad says have used Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistani soil — a charge Kabul denies. 

A fragile ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey last year had briefly eased clashes but failed to produce a lasting peace. Recent fighting along the border flared again this week after Afghan forces launched what they described as retaliation against what they said were unprovoked Pakistani air raids. 

The sudden escalation into recognised “war” has alarmed regional observers and humanitarian organisations. Civilians on both sides of the border are reported to be fleeing combat zones, and thousands of refugees and displaced families face uncertainty as the conflict worsens. 

Sources: Reuters, CBS News, The Sunday Guardian, and Sky News


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