Pakistanโs Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday declared an โopen warโ with Afghanistanโs Taliban government, signalling a sharp escalation in tensions between the neighbouring countries after airstrikes, cross border attacks and months of mounting violence along their shared frontier.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes targeting Afghan cities including Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia following a fresh round of clashes between the two sides. Announcing the hardened stance in a post on X, Asif wrote that Pakistanโs patience had reached its limit and that it was now โopen warโ between the two countries.
The declaration comes amid rapidly intensifying hostilities that have driven relations between Islamabad and Kabul to one of their lowest points in recent years.
Airstrikes and escalation
According to Agence France Presse, fighter jets were heard over Kabul and Kandahar, with journalists reporting multiple loud explosions followed by gunfire that lasted more than 2 hours.
Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the Pakistani strikes but said there were no casualties.
Pakistanโs Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described the action as a โbefitting responseโ, stating that Pakistanโs armed forces acted after Afghan troops allegedly attacked Pakistani border personnel.
In a separate post on X, Pakistanโs President Asif Ali Zardari said the country would not compromise on peace and territorial integrity. He added that the armed forcesโ response was comprehensive and decisive, warning that those who mistake peace for weakness would face a strong response and that no one would be beyond reach.
The strikes followed retaliatory military action by Afghanistan. The Associated Press reported that Afghan authorities said their forces launched cross border attacks late Thursday in response to earlier Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory.
Afghan officials claimed the operations targeted Pakistani military installations along the Durand Line, the disputed border separating the two countries. Pakistani authorities rejected the claims, calling the Afghan assault unprovoked and maintaining that their response was necessary to safeguard territorial integrity.
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