Cross-Border Strikes Spark Renewed Violence
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have sharply intensified after months of relative calm. Early Friday, Pakistan launched airstrikes on Kabul and other Afghan cities, declaring “open war” following Taliban attacks on Pakistani border positions. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Islamabad’s patience with the Taliban government had “run out.”
The military reported that Operation Ghazab lil Haq (“Righteous Fury”) killed 133 Taliban fighters and targeted key installations in Kabul and Kandahar, where Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada resides. The Taliban confirmed strikes across three provinces and said retaliatory attacks on Pakistani positions had begun, with Kabul reporting eight soldiers killed. Pakistani forces also reportedly seized several border posts, raising the national flag.
The Roots of the Conflict
At the heart of the crisis is Pakistan’s claim that the Taliban shelters Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, who have launched attacks across the border. The TTP, formed in 2007, seeks to overthrow the Pakistani government and establish rule under its interpretation of Islamic law. Last year alone, it carried out over 1,000 violent incidents.
Although formally separate from the Afghan Taliban, the TTP maintains ideological and social ties, raising security concerns for Islamabad. Other groups, such as the Balochistan Liberation Army, have also stepped up activity along the Afghan border. The roughly 2,600-kilometre Durand Line remains a point of contention, with Afghanistan never formally recognising it, claiming it divides the Pashtun population unfairly.
Regional Politics and India’s Influence
Some analysts say Pakistan’s frustration also stems from Afghanistan’s perceived closeness to India. Defence Minister Asif accused the Taliban of turning Afghanistan “into a colony of India” while ignoring Pakistan’s security concerns. He emphasized that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees over the decades and warned that its “cup of patience has overflowed.”
The Taliban rejected these claims, stating it has consistently pursued positive relations with neighbours and insisting Afghan territory has not been used for attacks on Pakistan. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have faced six Pakistani airstrikes. A Qatar-mediated ceasefire in October 2025 had largely held, but intermittent clashes and failed peace talks have left the border region on high alert, raising fears of further escalation.
