Pakistan / Afghanistan | New Delhi:
Tensions along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border escalated sharply over the past 24 hours, with both countries reporting heavy military losses and Pakistan’s Defence Minister declaring an “open war” with the Afghan Taliban government along the disputed Durand Line.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Islamabad has launched a large-scale retaliatory military campaign, Operation Ghazab lil Haq, following what Pakistan claims were repeated attacks on its border posts by Afghan Taliban forces.
“Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you,” Asif said in a post on X, accusing the Taliban of acting as a proxy for India and exporting terrorism from Afghan soil.
Pakistan Claims Major Taliban Losses
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said at least 133 Taliban fighters were killed and more than 200 injured during the operation. According to him, Pakistani forces struck multiple defense targets in Kabul, Paktia, and Kandahar, destroying 27 Taliban posts and capturing nine others.
Asif confirmed that the operation began late Thursday night and said Pakistan’s armed forces are delivering a “strong and decisive response” to Taliban aggression.
Afghanistan Reports Heavy Pakistani Casualties
Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defence, however, issued a sharply different account. In a statement, the ministry claimed that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed during retaliatory operations carried out Thursday night along the Durand Line.
The Afghan side said its forces targeted Pakistani military positions in border provinces including Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, Kunar, and Nuristan. According to the statement, two Pakistani military bases and 19 posts were destroyed, while two bases and 19 posts were captured during a four-hour operation.
Afghan authorities said eight of their fighters were killed and 11 injured, and alleged that 13 civilians were wounded in a missile strike on a refugee camp in Nangarhar province.
Sharp Political Reactions in Pakistan
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused the Afghan Taliban of targeting civilians and said Pakistan’s forces had responded “befittingly” to what he described as open aggression.
President Asif Ali Zardari stated that Pakistan would not compromise on peace or territorial integrity. “Those who mistake our peace for weakness will face a decisive response,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed the sentiment, saying Pakistan’s armed forces are fully prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty. “There will be no compromise on the defense of the homeland. Every act of aggression will be met with a strong reply,” he said in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Border Remains Volatile
The 2,611-kilometer Durand Line has long been a source of tension between the two neighbors and is not formally recognized by Afghanistan. With both sides issuing conflicting claims and strong rhetoric, the situation remains volatile, raising concerns of a wider military confrontation in the region.
International observers are closely watching developments as cross-border strikes, civilian allegations, and escalating political statements signal one of the most serious flare-ups between Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent years.