Overnight air and ground assaults shatter fragile ceasefire, pushing neighboring nations to the brink of full-scale conflict.
SHARJAH, UAE – Pakistan has declared an “open war” against the Taliban administration in Afghanistan following intense overnight strikes that targeted militant hideouts in major Afghan cities, dramatically escalating months of cross-border tensions.
The operation—described by Pakistani security sources as involving both air and ground forces—struck what Islamabad claims are headquarters and ammunition depots belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) along the volatile frontier. The strikes mark the most serious deterioration in relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors in years, threatening to completely unravel the fragile ceasefire along the 2,600-kilometer (1,615-mile) Durand Line.
“Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you,” Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif posted on X, signaling a stark shift in rhetoric following days of mounting clashes.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that Pakistani forces conducted airstrikes in parts of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. A Reuters witness in the Afghan capital reported hearing loud blasts followed by the wail of numerous ambulance sirens rushing through the night.
Conflicting Casualty Figures Emerge
Both sides are reporting heavy losses, though the figures are sharply disputed and difficult to verify independently amid the fog of war.
Pakistan’s Account:
Government spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi stated that 133 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and over 200 wounded. He added that 27 militant posts were destroyed and nine captured. “Pakistani counterstrikes against targets in Afghanistan continue,” Zaidi posted on X, describing the action as a response to “unprovoked Afghan attacks.” Video shared by Pakistani officials showed flashes of artillery fire along the border and a building in Paktia—identified as a Taliban headquarters—engulfed in flames.
Afghanistan’s Account:
Zabihullah Mujahid offered a different tally, claiming that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 19 of their posts seized. He reported eight Taliban fighters killed and 11 wounded, adding that 13 civilians were injured in the eastern Nangarhar province.
The Root of the Conflict: The TTP Dispute
This escalation is the latest and most severe chapter in a long-running dispute over cross-border militancy. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban government of harboring and providing sanctuary to the TTP, a militant group that shares ideology with the Afghan Taliban but specifically targets the Pakistani state.
The Taliban administration in Kabul denies these allegations, insisting it does not allow any group to use Afghan soil to attack other countries. Following Pakistani airstrikes earlier this week—which Islamabad said targeted TTP and Daesh camps—the Taliban warned of retaliation. That promise materialized Thursday night when the Taliban launched what it described as retaliatory attacks on Pakistani military installations along the frontier, with both sides previously claiming to have destroyed border posts.
The rapid deterioration of relations signals a dangerous new phase in an already volatile region, effectively ending any pretense of diplomacy between the two uneasy neighbors and raising fears of a wider conflict that could destabilize the region further.
