Pakistan claims 133 Afghan fighters killed in fresh offensive
Pakistan launched airstrikes on major Afghan cities, including the capital Kabul, with Islamabad’s defence minister declaring that the two neighbours are now in “open war” after months of escalating cross-border tensions.
The latest flare-up followed an attack by Afghan forces on Pakistani border troops on Thursday night. The Taliban-led government in Kabul said the assault was retaliation for earlier deadly Pakistani airstrikes.
Hours after the bombardment, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country’s armed forces were capable of crushing any aggression. “Our forces have the full capability to crush any aggressive ambitions,” he said.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared that Pakistan’s “patience has reached its limit,” warning that the conflict had entered the stage of “open war.”
Conflicting casualty claims
Pakistan reportedly claimed that 133 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded in its latest military offensive. Afghan authorities, however, disputed those figures.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defence said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory operations conducted along the disputed Durand Line on Thursday. The 2,611-km border, known as the Durand Line, has never been formally recognised by Afghanistan and has long been a source of friction.
In a statement, the Afghan ministry said the operation began at 8:00 pm on the 9th of Ramadan (February 26) in response to what it described as a violation of Afghan territory by Pakistani forces days earlier. Afghan troops reportedly targeted Pakistani military posts in eastern and southeastern areas near Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, Kunar and Nuristan provinces.
Explosions and gunfire were reported in Kabul and Kandahar as both sides accused each other of initiating hostilities.
Pakistan calls strikes ‘befitting response’
Pakistan strongly rejected Kabul’s claims. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described the strikes as a “befitting response” to what he termed “open aggression” by the Afghan Taliban.
“Pakistan’s armed forces have given a befitting response to the Afghan Taliban’s open aggression,” Naqvi said.
Pakistan’s information ministry stated that Afghan forces had opened unprovoked fire at multiple locations across the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, adding that the firing was being met with an “immediate and effective response.”
While Kabul claimed significant Pakistani casualties and the capture of military posts, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar reportedly said only two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three injured. Islamabad also said 27 Afghan posts were destroyed and nine captured as part of what it called Operation Ghazab lil Haq.
Afghan authorities said eight of their fighters were killed and 11 injured, and alleged that 13 civilians were wounded in a missile strike on a refugee camp in Nangarhar.
Amid the escalating hostilities, António Guterres urged both sides to protect civilians in accordance with international law and resolve their differences through diplomatic means.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated sharply in recent months. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of failing to curb militant groups operating from Afghan territory — allegations the Taliban government denies.
With both sides trading heavy accusations and military blows, tensions along the Durand Line remain high, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
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