Pakistan Declares ‘Open War’ on Afghan Taliban

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday that the country is in a state of ‘open war’ with neighboring Afghanistan.

He made the statement on the social media platform X.

On the night of Friday, February 27, Pakistan launched airstrikes on several Afghan cities, including the capital, Kabul.

“Our patience has run out. Now an open war has begun between us and you (Afghanistan),” the defense minister said.

This was the strongest public statement made so far amid the rapidly escalating conflict between the two countries.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari assured that the country would not compromise on peace or its territorial integrity.

“Those who mistake our desire for peace as weakness will receive a firm response and no one will be beyond our reach,” his statement said.

On the evening of February 26, the Afghan Taliban launched an offensive operation against Pakistani military bases and facilities at several points along the border.

In Kabul, officials claimed that Afghan forces had allegedly captured more than 15 Pakistani checkpoints within two hours. Reports said that dozens of Pakistani soldiers were killed.

In response, Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Afghan targets in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia province.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that 133 people were allegedly killed on the Afghan side during the operations, and more than 200 others were wounded.

After that, the Afghan Taliban government stated that, in response to the strikes, it had launched its own attacks on Pakistani targets in Kandahar and Helmand.

The mutual attacks are taking place along the Durand Line, which is regarded as the border between the two countries. Uragan heavy multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) have reportedly been spotted being redeployed on the Afghan side.

The previous escalation occurred on February 22, when Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, stating that the targets were camps and hideouts of militants from the banned groups Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Islamic State. Meanwhile, Afghan officials reported civilian casualties.

Relations between the two countries have significantly deteriorated following clashes in October last year, in which more than 70 people were killed on both sides. Since then, ground border crossings have remained closed.