Pakistan Declares 'Open War' with Overnight Airstrikes in Afghanistan
In a dramatic escalation of hostilities, Pakistan has launched what it termed an "open war" against Afghanistan, conducting overnight airstrikes that heavily bombed multiple key cities, including the capital Kabul and Kandahar. Islamabad claimed that 133 people were killed in what it described as a "strong and effective" retaliation for what it called "unprovoked firing" from across the border.
Military Escalation Follows Deadly Border Clashes
The strikes came after Afghanistan claimed it had killed 55 Pakistani troops earlier along the Durand Line, the contested 2,611-kilometre (1,622-mile) border between the two neighbouring countries that Afghanistan has never formally recognised. This military escalation appears to move both sides further away from the Qatar-brokered peace efforts, casting significant uncertainty over the fragile understanding that had been in place.
Multiple explosions were reported in Kabul and Kandahar, with locals describing jets flying overhead. Pakistan reportedly deployed its air force in the strikes, while Afghanistan, as a landlocked nation, lacks its own air force. The Associated Press reported that Pakistan's military targeted Afghan military facilities in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia provinces, allegedly destroying two brigade bases. Taliban ammunition facilities also fell under attack, according to officials who spoke anonymously as they were not authorised to address the media publicly.
Conflicting Narratives and Casualty Figures
The two sides presented sharply different accounts of the conflict. Afghanistan stated its military launched cross-border attacks into Pakistan late Thursday in retaliation for deadly Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas the previous Sunday. It claimed to have captured more than a dozen Pakistani army posts during this operation.
Pakistan's government, which had described Sunday's airstrikes as targeting militants sheltered in the area, termed Thursday's Afghan assault unprovoked and rejected claims that any army posts had been seized. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three wounded, while claiming 36 Afghan fighters had been killed. In contrast, Afghanistan's defense ministry reported eight Afghan soldiers killed and 11 wounded, asserting it destroyed 19 Pakistani army posts and two bases.
Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, spokesperson for Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, later claimed at least 133 Afghan fighters were killed and over 200 wounded, with 27 Afghan posts destroyed and nine fighters captured. He did not specify where these casualties occurred but warned of "many more casualties estimated in strikes in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar military targets."
Civilian Impact and Refugee Crisis
Both sides reported exchanges of fire near the Torkham border crossing, with significant civilian impact. Afghan authorities began evacuating a refugee camp near Torkham after several refugees were wounded. The defense ministry said 13 civilians, including women and children, were injured in a missile strike on the camp.
On the Pakistani side, police reported residents moving to safer areas, with Afghan refugees waiting to cross back into Afghanistan also being relocated. This comes amid Pakistan's major crackdown on migrants since October 2023, which has expelled hundreds of thousands of people. Pakistani police noted mortars fired from Afghanistan landed in nearby villages but reported no civilian casualties.
"Pakistan will take all necessary measures to ensure its territorial integrity and the safety and security of its citizens," Pakistan's Information Ministry declared in a social media post.
Months of Mounting Tensions
Tensions between the two neighbours have remained high for months. Deadly border clashes in October killed dozens of soldiers, civilians, and suspected militants. The violence followed explosions in Kabul that Afghan officials blamed on Pakistan, leading Islamabad to carry out strikes deep inside Afghanistan targeting alleged militant hideouts.
While a Qatar-mediated ceasefire has largely held, sporadic exchanges of fire have continued. Several rounds of peace talks in November failed to produce a formal agreement. On Sunday, Pakistan's military conducted strikes along the Afghan border, claiming it killed at least 70 militants—a claim Afghanistan rejected, saying dozens of civilians were killed instead.
Militant violence has surged in Pakistan in recent years, much of which Islamabad attributes to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and outlawed Baloch separatist groups. The TTP, while separate from Afghanistan's Taliban, is closely allied with it. Pakistan accuses the TTP of operating from Afghan territory, a charge denied by both the group and Kabul.
International Calls for Restraint
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged restraint, calling on both sides to protect civilians in accordance with international law and "to continue to seek to resolve any differences through diplomacy," according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. This international concern underscores the broader regional implications of the escalating conflict between the two Islamic nations.
