Border Escalation: Pakistan Declares 'Open War' on Afghanistan Following Retaliatory Airstrikes

On Friday, February 27, 2026, the long-standing military friction between Islamabad and Kabul reached a volatile breaking point. Following a series of intense cross-border skirmishes that ignited the previous day, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif officially proclaimed the commencement of an "open war" against the Taliban administration in Afghanistan. This drastic declaration follows what Islamabad describes as the total exhaustion of its diplomatic patience regarding the security situation along the frontier.

The theater of conflict is centered along the Durand Line, a contentious 2,640–2,670 kilometer boundary that Kabul has historically refused to recognize. The current hostilities erupted on February 26 when Afghan armed forces launched significant offensive operations targeting Pakistani military installations. In a swift counter-offensive codenamed "Ghazab Lil Haq" (translated as "Wrath of Justice" or "Righteous Fury"), the Pakistan Air Force conducted extensive strikes across Afghanistan, hitting strategic military positions in the capital city of Kabul, as well as Kandahar and Paktia province.

This military surge is the culmination of months of rising tension, exacerbated by a string of terrorist attacks within Pakistan. Most notably, Islamabad has pointed to the February 6 bombing of a Shia mosque in the capital as a catalyst, accusing the Afghan Taliban of providing sanctuary to "Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan" (TTP) militants. These events follow a stern warning issued by Minister Asif on February 11, 2026, regarding potential intervention before the start of Ramadan. The collapse of these relations represents a significant failure for the diplomatic framework established in late 2025 through the mediation of Turkey and Qatar after previous clashes in October.

Discrepancies in casualty figures remain stark between the two nations as they provide conflicting accounts of the battlefield. Pakistani officials, including Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Prime Minister’s spokesperson Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, reported the elimination of up to 133 Taliban militants and over 200 injuries. They further claimed the destruction of 27 enemy posts and the capture of nine others. Conversely, the Afghan Ministry of Defense asserted that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and dozens of military vehicles were seized. Kabul acknowledged eight Afghan military fatalities and 11 injuries, while claiming to have neutralized two Pakistani sites and seized 19 army posts.

Beyond the formal declaration of hostilities, Minister Asif leveled severe accusations against the Taliban leadership, alleging that Afghanistan has been transformed into a "colony of India." He accused the regime of actively exporting global terrorism and systematically stripping its citizens of fundamental human rights, particularly those of women which he noted are guaranteed under Islam. Asif emphasized that Pakistan had made every effort to stabilize the situation through direct talks and the assistance of friendly nations, but concluded that the threshold of tolerance has been surpassed.

In response, the Afghan defense establishment maintains that its military actions were purely defensive measures against lethal Pakistani airstrikes that resulted in civilian casualties. The international community has viewed the escalation with deep concern; a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both parties to adhere to international law and prioritize the protection of non-combatants. Currently, a total blockade remains in effect at major border crossings, including the vital Torkham point, which is severely impacting the region’s humanitarian and economic stability.