Pakistan Declares ‘Open War’ as Cross-Border Strikes Escalate Tensions with Afghanistan

A sharp escalation in hostilities has pushed relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan into a dangerous new phase, with Pakistan’s defence minister stating the country is now in what he described as an “open war” following a series of cross-border strikes.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif made the declaration after Islamabad launched airstrikes targeting locations in Kabul as part of a broader military response.

The strikes came shortly after the Taliban announced a major offensive against Pakistani military posts along the border late on Thursday night.

The renewed clashes mark the most serious deterioration in relations since the fragile ceasefire agreed in October. Previous negotiations aimed at ending hostilities broke down last year, with both sides accusing each other of failing to engage constructively.

The Taliban said it had initiated what it called a “retaliatory operation” on Thursday evening. Pakistan responded swiftly, accusing Afghan forces of opening unprovoked fire across multiple locations in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Islamabad described its military response as “immediate and effective,” followed by air raids in the early hours of Friday targeting sites in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktika — all near the rugged 2,600km border shared by the two nations.

Pakistan’s military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said 22 Afghan military targets were struck, claiming more than 200 Taliban fighters were killed. He also reported the loss of at least 12 Pakistani soldiers.

However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid disputed those figures, stating that 13 fighters had been killed and 22 injured, while also reporting civilian casualties.

In a brief post later removed from social media, Mujahid said Afghan forces had launched retaliatory strikes on Pakistani military positions in Kandahar and Helmand. Taliban sources indicated these attacks involved drones launched from Afghan territory.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Atta Tarar said the country’s military successfully intercepted Afghan drones targeting Swabi, Nowshera and Abbottabad — the latter home to Pakistan’s military academy.