Airstrikes and Retaliation Mark Dangerous Escalation
After months of uneasy calm, fighting has flared dramatically between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government, raising fears of a broader conflict along their 2,600-kilometre mountainous border.
Pakistan launched airstrikes early Friday on Kabul and other key cities, declaring what it described as “open war” following Taliban attacks on Pakistani border posts. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Islamabad’s patience had “run out” after repeated cross-border incidents.
Pakistan’s military announced an operation it called “Righteous Fury,” claiming it killed more than 100 Taliban fighters and struck military sites in Kabul and Kandahar — the spiritual heartland of the Taliban leadership. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed strikes in three provinces and said retaliation was under way. Afghanistan’s defence ministry reported eight soldiers killed.
The exchange followed Taliban attacks along the Durand Line late Thursday, which Kabul said were in response to earlier Pakistani strikes in eastern Afghan provinces that reportedly killed at least 18 people. Pakistan has insisted those earlier raids targeted militant camps linked to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State affiliates.
Both sides now accuse each other of drone strikes, artillery fire and border seizures, with reports that Pakistani forces have raised their flag at several contested posts.
Deep Roots of Distrust
The latest flare-up is part of a long and complicated struggle.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering fighters from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant group seeking to overthrow the Pakistani government. Although the TTP is formally separate from Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, the two share ideological and historical ties.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Pakistan says attacks inside its territory have surged. Independent monitors reported more than 1,000 violent incidents across Pakistan last year alone. Provinces bordering Afghanistan, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, have been hardest hit. The Balochistan Liberation Army has also intensified operations, further straining security.
At the center of the dispute lies the Durand Line — a border Afghanistan has never formally recognized, arguing it unfairly split ethnic Pashtun communities. That unresolved question continues to fuel suspicion and confrontation.
The India Factor and Regional Stakes
Some analysts believe the confrontation is not only about border security but also regional politics. Islamabad has expressed growing concern over Kabul’s perceived closeness to New Delhi, viewing it as a strategic threat.
Defence Minister Asif accused the Taliban of turning Afghanistan “into a colony of India” rather than focusing on regional stability. He also pointed to Pakistan’s long history of hosting millions of Afghan refugees, saying the country’s patience had been exhausted.
Kabul has firmly rejected the accusations, insisting it seeks constructive relations with neighbors and denying that Afghan territory is being used against Pakistan. Taliban officials describe the TTP issue as Pakistan’s internal problem.
Since U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan, dozens of clashes have erupted along the border. A Qatar-mediated ceasefire last year briefly reduced tensions, but negotiations failed to produce a lasting agreement.
With airstrikes now hitting major cities and both governments trading accusations, the risk of further escalation is real. Whether this turns into a full-scale war may depend on how quickly diplomacy can re-enter the picture — and whether either side is willing to step back from the brink.
