Airstrikes Mark a Dangerous Turning Point
After months of uneasy calm along their 2,600-kilometre mountainous border, Pakistan and Afghanistan are once again on the brink. Pakistan launched airstrikes on Kabul and other cities early Friday, declaring what it called “open war” after Taliban forces attacked Pakistani border posts.
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Islamabad’s patience had “run out.” The military announced the start of Operation Ghazab lil Haq (“Righteous Fury”), claiming it killed 133 Taliban fighters and struck military sites in Kabul and Kandahar — home to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
The Taliban confirmed that Pakistani strikes hit three provinces and said retaliatory attacks were underway against Pakistani military positions. Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry reported eight of its soldiers killed. Both sides have traded claims of drone strikes, border seizures and damage, with tensions rising rapidly on both sides of the Durand Line.
The Spark Behind the Latest Escalation
The immediate trigger came Thursday night, when Taliban forces launched what they described as “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani positions along the border. Kabul said the assault was retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes in February that killed at least 18 people in eastern Afghan provinces. Pakistan insists those earlier strikes targeted militants from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic State-Khorasan Province.
By early Friday morning, Pakistani jets were over Kabul. Anti-aircraft fire echoed across the Afghan capital. Pakistan said it hit Taliban brigade and corps headquarters, while also reporting strikes in its own Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province amid cross-border exchanges.
Both governments deny losing control of territory, yet reports suggest Pakistani forces have raised their flag over several disputed border posts. The cycle of retaliation appears to be accelerating.
Deep Roots and Regional Rivalries
The conflict runs far deeper than the latest round of airstrikes. At its core is Pakistan’s long-standing accusation that the Afghan Taliban harbours the TTP — a militant group seeking to overthrow the Pakistani government. Although officially separate, the TTP maintains close ideological and historical ties to the Taliban.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Pakistan says militant violence has surged, with hundreds of attacks inside its borders. Islamabad argues that Kabul has failed to rein in these groups — or worse, is quietly tolerating them.
The disputed Durand Line border further complicates matters. Afghanistan has never formally recognised it, saying it unfairly splits the Pashtun population. Clashes along the frontier have become increasingly common, with dozens reported since the U.S. withdrawal.
Adding another layer is Afghanistan’s perceived warming relationship with India. Pakistani officials, including Defence Minister Asif, have accused the Taliban government of drifting closer to New Delhi while ignoring Pakistan’s security concerns. Kabul rejects the claim, insisting it seeks balanced ties with all neighbours and denying that Afghan soil is being used against Pakistan.
With ceasefires repeatedly breaking down and diplomacy failing to produce lasting agreements, the key question now is whether this latest escalation will cool — or spiral into a sustained and far more dangerous conflict.
