Airstrikes and Retaliation Ignite Tensions
After months of relative calm, the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has erupted into violence. Early Friday, Pakistan launched airstrikes on Kabul and other Afghan cities, calling it “open war” following Taliban attacks on Pakistani border posts.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Islamabad’s patience had “run out,” while the military reported that Operation Ghazab lil Haq (“Righteous Fury”) killed 133 Taliban fighters and struck key sites in Kabul and Kandahar, where Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada resides. The Taliban confirmed retaliatory attacks on Pakistani positions, and Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry reported eight soldiers killed. Pakistani forces reportedly seized several border posts and raised their flag.
Longstanding Security Disputes
The conflict stems largely from Pakistan accusing the Taliban of sheltering Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan. The TTP, formed in 2007, aims to overthrow the Pakistani government and enforce its interpretation of Islamic law, carrying out over 1,000 violent incidents in 2025 alone.
Though formally separate, the TTP has ideological and social ties to the Afghan Taliban, raising serious security concerns for Islamabad. The Durand Line, the 2,600-kilometre border, remains disputed, with Afghanistan refusing to formally recognise it. Additional violence comes from the Balochistan Liberation Army, affecting border provinces Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Regional Politics and India Factor
Some analysts suggest Pakistan’s anger is partly tied to Afghanistan’s perceived closeness to India. Defence Minister Asif accused the Taliban of turning Afghanistan “into a colony of India” and warned that ignoring Pakistan’s security concerns would have consequences.
The Taliban rejected these claims, insisting Afghan territory has not been used against any country and framing the TTP as Pakistan’s internal problem. Since their return to power in 2021, the Taliban have faced multiple Pakistani airstrikes, and despite a Qatar-brokered ceasefire in October 2025, clashes and exchanges of fire have continued, with peace talks failing to produce a lasting agreement.
