Islamabad has formally declared what it describes as an “open war” against Afghanistan’s Taliban-led administration following a dramatic escalation in cross-border violence. The announcement came after Pakistan launched airstrikes on multiple Afghan cities, triggering retaliatory attacks and sharply conflicting casualty claims from both sides.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, confirmed that Pakistani forces had initiated a military campaign codenamed Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. According to him, the operation targeted Taliban-linked sites in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia province after what Islamabad described as sustained provocations and attacks on its border troops.
Afghan officials reported a series of explosions in Kabul, while Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani aircraft also struck Kandahar in the south and Paktia in the southeast. Kabul said its forces had launched cross-border operations in response to earlier Pakistani air raids earlier in the week.
Afghanistan’s defence ministry claimed its troops seized more than a dozen Pakistani military posts during the clashes. It acknowledged that eight Afghan soldiers were killed and 11 injured. Afghan authorities also reported civilian casualties near the Torkham crossing, where a mortar shell allegedly hit a refugee camp sheltering returnees from Pakistan, wounding at least seven people, including women.
Islamabad rejected Kabul’s version of events. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar dismissed claims of captured posts as false and labeled the Afghan assault as unprovoked firing. Pakistani officials stated that airstrikes destroyed Taliban brigade and corps headquarters, ammunition depots and logistics facilities.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused Afghan Taliban forces of targeting civilians and said Pakistan’s military response was decisive and necessary to safeguard national security. He warned of severe repercussions if further attacks occur.
Conflicting Casualty Claims
Both governments released sharply different casualty figures. Afghanistan asserted that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and several captured, while Pakistan maintained that only two soldiers died and denied any captures. Islamabad, in turn, claimed dozens of Afghan fighters were killed, with later statements suggesting even higher numbers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office dismissed Afghan claims as misinformation.
Heavy exchanges of fire were also reported around Torkham, prompting evacuations on both sides of the border. Afghan authorities relocated refugees from camps near the crossing, while Pakistani officials said villagers and stranded Afghan nationals were moved to safer areas.
International Concern
The escalating violence has drawn global attention. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, urged both countries to protect civilians and resolve their differences through dialogue.
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been strained for months. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of operating from Afghan territory — allegations the Taliban-led government denies.
With a fragile ceasefire now under severe pressure, the latest confrontation risks pushing the two neighbours into a broader and more prolonged conflict, raising fears of further instability across the region.
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