Pakistan Declares ‘Open War’ with Afghanistan as Strikes Hit Kabul and Islamabad

Pakistan’s defense minister declared his country is now in “open war” with Afghanistan after both nations launched strikes on each other’s territory, marking the most dramatic escalation in tensions since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

The exchange of air and missile strikes targeted military positions and, according to officials on both sides, reached as far as the capital cities of Islamabad and Kabul. The sharp deterioration in relations follows months of mounting hostility along the rugged, 1,600-mile frontier separating the two countries.

Pakistan Says Patience Has Run Out

In a post on X, Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Asif said Islamabad had initially hoped for stability in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces three years ago. Instead, he wrote, Pakistan now views the Taliban-led government as complicit in cross-border violence.

“Our patience has run out,” Asif said, adding that Pakistani forces would respond decisively to what he described as Afghan aggression.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed that message, vowing in a statement that Pakistan would “crush any aggression” threatening its sovereignty. His office later said Pakistani operations had targeted military sites in Kabul, Kandahar and eastern Afghan provinces along the border.

Pakistani officials claimed that 133 Taliban fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded in strikes on what they described as military targets. Those figures could not be independently verified.

Afghanistan Launches Retaliatory Strikes

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government responded with its own strikes. The Afghan Ministry of National Defense said it carried out “retaliatory attacks” on Pakistani military positions, including targets in Islamabad and Abbottabad.

The ministry claimed that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, two bases and 19 posts were captured, and that several border districts—including Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar and Kunar—saw intense fighting. It also said 13 civilians were injured in a missile attack and eight Afghan fighters were killed.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that Pakistani strikes had hit Kabul and other areas but denied that there were reported casualties from those attacks.

Speaking at a news conference, Mujahid warned that if Pakistan “chooses war,” Afghanistan would “choose annihilation,” adding that Afghan forces possess the capacity to deliver what he described as a decisive blow.

The competing casualty claims from both governments have not been independently verified, and the scale of the damage remains unclear.

Roots of the Escalation

The current confrontation follows a prolonged deterioration in ties between Islamabad and the Taliban authorities in Kabul. Since the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring militants from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group responsible for a surge of attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern provinces.

Islamabad says TTP fighters operate from safe havens inside Afghanistan, launching cross-border assaults on Pakistani security forces. The Taliban government denies those allegations, insisting it does not allow Afghan territory to be used against neighboring states.

Tensions worsened in mid-October when Pakistan shut all major border crossings with Afghanistan, halting trade and movement along one of the region’s most critical economic corridors. Although a ceasefire was later announced, trade routes remain largely closed, in what local residents describe as the longest border shutdown in living memory.

The border closure has disrupted supply chains, stranded thousands of travelers and traders, and compounded economic hardship in both countries.

International Calls for De-escalation

The sharp escalation has alarmed international observers concerned about the risk of a broader regional conflict. Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, urged both governments to exercise restraint and uphold international law.

“Immediate de-escalation is essential,” Bennett said in a post on X, calling on both sides to protect civilians and respect humanitarian principles.

So far, there has been no confirmation of mediation efforts by regional powers. However, analysts warn that sustained conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan could destabilize South Asia at a time when both countries face economic fragility and internal security challenges.

A Dangerous Turning Point

The exchange of strikes marks a dangerous turning point in relations between the two neighbors, whose histories have long been intertwined through conflict, migration and trade.

Pakistan was once viewed as a key backer of the Afghan Taliban during their insurgency against Western-backed forces. But relations have grown increasingly strained as Islamabad accuses Kabul of failing to curb anti-Pakistan militants operating from Afghan soil.

For Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership, the confrontation underscores its struggle to balance internal consolidation of power with complex regional diplomacy.

Whether the latest escalation leads to sustained military confrontation or a renewed push for negotiations remains uncertain. For now, both capitals appear locked in hardened rhetoric, with military actions reinforcing diplomatic breakdown.

As strikes reverberate across cities and border regions, the prospect of an entrenched conflict between two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors—one of them already grappling with international isolation—raises urgent questions about the stability of the wider region.