Pakistan’s defence minister has declared ‘open war’ on Afghanistan, as the military launched a volley of airstrikes in response to a Taliban attack on the border.
Kabul, Afghanistan‘s capital, was rocked by multiple explosions in the early hours of Friday, with dramatic footage broadcast by Pakistani news apparently showing major blasts in built-up areas.
Unconfirmed footage posted to social media showed enormous fireballs erupting into the sky.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan had made every effort to avoid freefall conflict, but claimed to have been left with no choice.
‘Our patience has run out. Now there is an open war,’ he said early on Friday.
In a series of posts on X, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, said: ‘The people of Pakistan and the armed forces are always ready to protect the country’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The armed forces of Pakistan are performing their duties with national zeal.
‘No compromise will be made on the defense of our dear homeland, and a crushing response will be given to every aggression.’
As the dust settled from the strikes, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said: ‘The cowardly Pakistani military has carried out airstrikes in certain areas of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia.’ He said there had been no reported casualties.
Unconfirmed footage appears to show large explosions on the Afghanistan skyline
The latest bombardment is Pakistan’s response to a Taliban raid on the border on Thursday, in which Pakistan said two of its soldiers were killed while responding to ‘unprovoked fire’.
Afghanistan said its skirmish was, in turn, retaliation for deadly Pakistani airstrikes on border areas on Sunday.
Afghan Taliban fighters patrol near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border on Thursday, which saw cross-border fighting
Both sides claimed to have inflicted significant losses, with The Taliban reporting to have captured 13 border outposts, killed as many as 55 soldiers, and also captured a number of troops.
Pakistan refuted that any border posts had been seized or soldiers captured, reporting three casualties on top of the two deaths, per Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
The Taliban, which controls the whole of Afghanistan since Western troops pulled out in 2020, said it had launched the ‘large-scale’ operation in response to strikes earlier this week.
‘In response to the repeated rebellions and insurrections of the Pakistani military, large-scale offensive operations were launched against Pakistani military bases and military installations along the Durand Line,’ Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a post on X Thursday night.
Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, said the strikes in the week targeted alleged militant camps and hideouts.
Fighting also broke out in a separate part of the border on Thursday, with both sides reporting exchanges of fire in the Torkham region.
Afghan authorities have been evacuating a refugee camp near the Torkham border crossing after several refugees were wounded, local officials said.
On the Pakistani side, police said residents were also evacuating to safer areas, while some Afghan refugees who had been waiting to cross back into Afghanistan were also moved to secure locations.
Tensions and violence have been growing over the shared 1,622-mile border, known as the Durand Line, which Afghanistan has not formally recognized.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.