Pakistan launched air strikes on major Afghan cities, including the capital Kabul, early Friday morning, February 27, with Islamabad’s defence minister declaring the two neighbours are now in “open war” after months of escalating border clashes.
Journalists in Kabul and Kandahar reported hearing fighter jets and multiple explosions through the night as Pakistani forces targeted what officials described as Taliban defence positions.
The latest strikes followed overnight fighting on Thursday, when Afghan forces reportedly attacked Pakistani border troops in response to earlier air raids by Islamabad.
Tensions between the two countries have steadily worsened in recent months. Key land crossings have remained largely shut since deadly confrontations in October that left more than 70 people dead on both sides.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government of failing to rein in militant groups staging attacks inside its territory, an allegation Kabul denies. Many of the recent attacks in Pakistan have been claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has intensified operations since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Taliban defence targets were struck in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar provinces. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the situation as an “all-out confrontation,” declaring on social media: “Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between you and us.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later said Pakistan’s armed forces are fully capable of responding to what he called aggressive actions
The strikes mark a significant escalation from previous cross-border exchanges. Analysts say Pakistan appears to have widened its targets beyond the TTP to include Taliban-linked positions.
Earlier ceasefire efforts brokered by Qatar and Turkey failed to hold. Saudi Arabia recently stepped in to mediate the release of three Pakistani soldiers captured during earlier clashes. On Friday, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held talks with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, according to Riyadh.
Iran, which borders both nations, has offered to help facilitate dialogue to prevent further escalation.
The Taliban government confirmed the air strikes but said there were no casualties from the bombardment. However, Afghanistan’s defence ministry reported that eight of its soldiers were killed during land operations along the border.
Local officials in Nangarhar province said several civilians were wounded when a mortar shell struck a camp near the Torkham crossing for Afghans returning from Pakistan. One woman was reported in critical condition.
Both militaries claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on the other in the latest fighting. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said several Pakistani soldiers had been captured alive — a claim Islamabad denied.
The latest violence follows Pakistani air strikes earlier this week in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, which the UN mission in Afghanistan said killed at least 13 civilians.
Beyond the border clashes, both countries have been hit by a wave of deadly militant attacks. Recent incidents include a bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad that killed dozens and was claimed by the Islamic State group, whose regional affiliate, Islamic State–Khorasan, has also carried out attacks in Kabul.
Despite the overnight bombardment, security presence in Kabul appeared largely unchanged by Friday morning, though residents reported a tense and uneasy calm as Ramadan prayers continued.
The sharp escalation raises fears of a prolonged military confrontation between the two historically volatile neighbours.
