Pakistan conducts airstrikes on Afghan territory as tensions edge toward “open war”

Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Kabul and at least two southern provinces on Feb. 27, dramatically escalating a months‑long border confrontation with Afghanistan and pushing the two neighbours toward what Pakistan’s defence minister called an “open war.” The strikes — reportedly aimed at Taliban military offices and outposts in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia — followed deadly frontier clashes and reciprocal attacks that have already closed most land crossings and displaced civilians on both sides of the Durand Line.

Airstrikes, claims and counterclaims

It has been reported that Pakistan’s information minister said the strikes killed 133 Taliban personnel and injured more than 200; Kabul and Taliban spokespeople offered a starkly different toll, saying some 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in earlier border battles and that Afghan forces had captured soldiers and seized Pakistani outposts. The Taliban’s government confirmed airstrikes in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia but provided limited independent details. Reuters and other reporters in Kabul recorded explosions and black smoke, and local witnesses described ammunition depots burning after the strikes. Many of the casualty and capture figures remain unverified and have been presented by each side to bolster its narrative.

Why this matters — and who’s watching

Why does this matter beyond the two neighbours? The Afghanistan–Pakistan relationship has long been poisoned by disputed borders, insurgent sanctuaries and competing security narratives; the Durand Line remains unrecognised by Kabul. A fragile 2025 Qatar‑brokered truce had calmed some outbreaks of violence, but it has been reported that recent exchanges — including attacks Kabul says were reprisals for earlier Pakistani strikes — have undone those gains. Regional powers and international organisations are now calling for restraint: the UN urged protection for civilians; China, Russia and Saudi Arabia have signalled concern or offered mediation; it has been reported that Moscow and Beijing have offered to assist with talks if requested.

The immediate human cost is clear: refugee flows, reports of civilian deaths in camps and tightened security inside Pakistan. How far will Islamabad go to compel action against militants it blames for cross‑border attacks? And how resilient is a Taliban government that has fought decades of irregular warfare? With both sides mobilising and narratives hardened, the diplomatic window to de‑escalate is narrowing — and the risk of prolonged, destabilising conflict across South Asia has risen accordingly.