Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated dramatically on Friday as Islamabad launched air strikes on major Afghan cities, including the capital, Kabul, declaring the conflict an “open war” after months of deadly border clashes.
Residents in Kabul and Kandahar reported hearing jets ands multiple explosions throughout the night. The strikes also targeted Paktia province and Taliban strongholds in southern Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the attacks, saying Taliban defence targets were hit. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the situation as an “all-out confrontation,” warning that Islamabad’s patience had run out.
The latest escalation followed an overnight clash in which Afghan forces allegedly attacked Pakistani border troops in response to earlier strikes by Islamabad.
Relations between the two neighbours have deteriorated sharply since October, when heavy fighting along their shared border left more than 70 people dead.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of harbouring militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as TTP, which has intensified attacks inside Pakistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The Taliban government denies offering safe haven to the group.
Several attempts at mediation had failed before the renewed violence. An earlier ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey broke down after repeated violations.
More recently, Saudi Arabia stepped in, helping secure the release of three Pakistani soldiers captured in October. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan also held talks with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday, according to a statement from Riyadh.
Meanwhile, Iran, which shares borders with both nations, offered to facilitate dialogue to calm tensions.
Casualties and Reactions
The Taliban confirmed the air strikes but said there were no casualties from the bombings in Kabul and Kandahar.
However, Afghanistan’s defence ministry reported that eight soldiers were killed during ground clashes at the border.
An Afghan provincial official in Nangarhar said at least seven civilians were wounded when a mortar shell hit a refugee camp near the Torkham crossing, with one woman in serious condition.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif insisted that the country’s armed forces have the capability to crush any aggression, as both militaries claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on each other.
Security experts warn that the latest strikes mark a dangerous escalation that could destabilise the wider South Asian region if urgent diplomatic intervention fails.
