Pakistan says it is in ‘open war’ with Afghanistan after carrying out airstrikes in several cities

Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan on Friday, including the capital Kabul, with Pakistan’s defense minister declaring “open war” between neighboring countries after months of clashes.

Explosions and fighter jets were heard above Kabul and Kandahar, while Pakistan launched air strikes on the Afghan capital and the southern power base of the Taliban authorities.

Pakistan’s latest operation came after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border forces on Thursday following earlier airstrikes by Pakistan.

Relations between the neighbors have deteriorated in recent months, with land border crossings largely closed since deadly fighting in October that left more than 70 people dead on both sides.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of failing to act against militant groups carrying out attacks in Pakistan, which the Taliban government denies.

Most of the attacks have been claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group that has stepped up attacks in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Several rounds of negotiations followed an initial ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Türkiye, but the efforts have not led to a lasting agreement.

The overnight strikes mark a “significant and dangerous escalation of previous clashes,” South Asia expert Michael Kugelman said in a post on X.

“Pakistan appears to have expanded its targets beyond TTP to include the Taliban regime itself,” he said.

Both armies said they have killed dozens of soldiers in the latest round of border violence, which followed multiple Pakistani attacks on Afghanistan and clashes along the border in recent months.

“Afghan Taliban defense targets were targeted in Kabul, Paktia (province) and Kandahar,” Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on X, while Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared a “total confrontation” with the Taliban government.

“Our patience has reached its limit. Now it’s an open war between us and you,” he posted on the social media platform.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country’s armed forces “have the full capability to crush any aggressive ambition.”

The Taliban government confirmed the Pakistani airstrikes, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying there were no casualties.

Hours earlier, Mujahid announced “large-scale offensive operations” on the border “in response to repeated violations by the Pakistani military.”

The Afghan Defense Ministry said eight of its soldiers had been killed in the land offensive.

An Afghan official reported that several civilians were injured near the Torkham border crossing, in a camp for people returning from Pakistan.

“A mortar shell hit the camp and unfortunately seven of our refugees were injured, and the condition of one woman is serious,” said Qureshi Badlun, chief information officer in Nangarhar province.

Although the border has been largely closed since October, Afghan returnees have been allowed to cross.

Mujahid, the Taliban government spokesman, told Agence France-Presse that several Pakistani soldiers had been “captured alive,” a claim denied by the prime minister’s office in Islamabad.

The military operation follows Pakistani attacks on Nangarhar and Paktika provinces overnight on Sunday, which killed at least 13 civilians, according to the UN mission in Afghanistan.

Both sides also reported cross-border fires on Tuesday, but without casualties.

A series of deadly suicide bombings have occurred in Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent months.

These included an attack on a Shiite mosque in Islamabad that killed at least 40 people. The self-proclaimed Islamic State group took responsibility.

The militant group’s regional affiliate, Islamic State-Khorasan, also claimed a deadly suicide bombing at a restaurant in Kabul last month.

After repeated violations of the initial ceasefire, Saudi Arabia intervened this month and brokered the release of three Pakistani soldiers captured by Afghanistan in October.

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