Pakistani military forces conducted strikes early Friday morning targeting cities within Afghanistan, including Kabul and Kandahar, escalating a cycle of cross-border attacks and retaliations. The strikes represent a significant intensification of hostilities between the two nations, following days of heightened tensions sparked by Pakistani airstrikes last week and subsequent attacks by Afghan Taliban authorities against Pakistani military positions.
The Afghan Taliban government confirmed the Pakistani strikes, with reports of explosions heard in Kabul by residents, according to the BBC. A spokesperson for the Taliban, in a post on X (now deleted), stated that Afghan forces had responded with renewed attacks along the shared border. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated the strikes were a response to “unprovoked Afghan attacks,” while the Taliban maintains their actions were retaliatory for earlier Pakistani strikes.
The current escalation began last week when Pakistan launched airstrikes within Afghanistan, targeting areas in Nangarhar and Paktia provinces. These strikes were reportedly in response to suicide blasts on Pakistani soil. Afghanistan condemned the Pakistani airstrikes as an unauthorized incursion. Following those strikes, the Taliban’s government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani military bases and installations along the Durand Line – the 2,611-kilometer border that Afghanistan does not recognize – on Thursday. Mujahid characterized these operations as a response to the “repeated rebellions and insurrections of the Pakistani military.”
Pakistani authorities reported that two soldiers were killed and three injured on Thursday as a result of the Taliban’s offensive. The Taliban claimed to have captured several Pakistani checkpoints and inflicted significant casualties, though these claims have not been independently verified. The Afghan military corps in the east issued a statement detailing “heavy clashes” that began late Thursday.
Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have deteriorated significantly since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. Land crossings along the Durand Line have been largely shut since deadly fighting in October 2025, which resulted in more than 70 deaths on both sides. A fragile ceasefire agreed to in October has now effectively collapsed, with both sides accusing the other of initiating the renewed hostilities. The situation remains fluid, with no immediate indication of de-escalation efforts.
