Overnight Airstrikes Escalate Violence
After months of uneasy calm, tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have surged dramatically. Early Friday, Pakistan launched airstrikes on Kabul and other Afghan cities, declaring “open war” after Taliban forces attacked Pakistani border positions. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Islamabad’s patience with the Taliban had “run out.”
The Pakistani military reported that its Operation Ghazab lil Haq (“Righteous Fury”) killed 133 Taliban fighters and targeted key military sites in Kabul and Kandahar, where Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada resides. The Afghan Taliban confirmed strikes across three provinces and reported retaliatory attacks on Pakistani positions. Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry said eight soldiers were killed, while Pakistan claims to have seized several border posts.
The Roots of the Conflict
The clashes are tied to long-standing security concerns. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of sheltering Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, who launch attacks inside Pakistan. The TTP, formed in 2007, has carried out more than 1,000 violent incidents across Pakistan in 2025, targeting the army, security forces, and political figures.
Although the TTP operates separately from the Afghan Taliban, the groups share historical, ideological, and linguistic ties. Pakistan also faces increased violence from the Balochistan Liberation Army along its border provinces. The 2,600-kilometre Durand Line border remains disputed, as Afghanistan has never formally recognised it, citing its division of the Pashtun population.
Regional Politics and India Factor
Analysts suggest the conflict is also shaped by geopolitics. Pakistan perceives growing ties between Kabul and New Delhi as a threat. Defence Minister Asif accused the Taliban of turning Afghanistan “into a colony of India,” warning that ignoring Pakistan’s security concerns carries consequences.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Pakistan has carried out six airstrikes in Afghanistan, with previous clashes including a high-profile October 2025 strike on Kabul. Despite a Qatar-mediated ceasefire last year, intermittent fighting has continued, and peace talks have so far failed to produce a lasting agreement. With both sides escalating again, the risk of the border conflict turning into a broader war is rising.
