Pakistan Declares ‘Open War’ Against Taliban Following Cross-Border Strikes

Pakistan's Defense Minister announced the country is now in open conflict with Afghanistan's Taliban government after overnight military strikes hit multiple cities. The escalation follows cross-border attacks and retaliatory strikes between the two nations along their shared frontier.

Pakistan’s military launched overnight strikes against Taliban government positions in Afghanistan, leading to retaliatory attacks and an official declaration of warfare from Islamabad as fighting escalated along the countries’ shared frontier, government officials from both nations confirmed Friday.

AFP journalists in Kabul reported hearing at least three explosions just after midnight, with a military aircraft spotted flying overhead moments before the blasts occurred. Gunfire could also be heard throughout the area. These explosions came after the Taliban had earlier announced it conducted attacks on Pakistani border positions.

Military officials from Pakistan confirmed their forces targeted Taliban locations across multiple Afghan cities. Pakistani security sources informed Reuters that the operation involved air-to-ground missile strikes aimed at Taliban military headquarters and outposts in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia provinces, accompanied by ground combat in various border sectors. Pakistani authorities characterized these actions as responses to Taliban aggression.

Taliban representatives stated they conducted what they called retaliatory attacks against Pakistani military facilities. Both nations reported significant casualties, though they provided vastly different casualty counts that Reuters noted could not be independently confirmed.

Following the military strikes, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared his nation was now engaged in open warfare with Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership. “Our patience has reached its limit,” he posted on X, stating: “This is now an open war between us.” He reinforced this message later, writing: “Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you (Afghanistan).”

Russia responded to the growing violence by calling for an immediate end to hostilities. The Russian Foreign Ministry urged both nations to “immediately cease the attacks,” and stated, “If the parties request, we will consider mediating between them,” according to Russian news agency RIA.

Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have deteriorated due to Pakistan’s persistent allegations that Afghanistan provides sanctuary to militants conducting cross-border attacks. Taliban officials have dismissed these accusations, maintaining that Pakistan’s security challenges are internal issues.